After
by nekobotan
Summary: An alternate universe crossover with the movie Titan A.E. Shounen ai, 1x2, 3x4, 5xMeiran. The movie plot is followed loosely.
1. Space

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 1 - Space

**After**

**Chapter 1 - Space**

Warnings: Hahaha. Some cursing. Eventual shounen ai; 1x2, 3x4, 5xMeiran. Rather confusing because I'm insane. Really.  
Summary: An alternate universe / crossover with the movie _Titan A.E._. I butchered the references to technology, and I butchered the entire story basically. Go for it.  
Disclaimers: Don't own Titan A.E. of course, nor Gundam Wing.  
Notes: // italics - denotes flashbacks. 

  
Floating in space... was like flying. A beautiful sensation. And it was very cold.... 

  


> //_ "Get on the ship." _

> _The roar of a hundred shuttle engines was enough to drown out the tall, stony eyed man's shout. But when Heero looked up at him for comfort, to be held, the man was glaring, his meaning conveyed fiercely. _

> _"Why?" _

> _"Move-- come on, pick up your bag--" He grabbed a hold of the tiny boy's shoulders and twisted him around, almost sending him pitching to the ground. With a violent jerk the blue duffel bag lifted up and was slapped into Heero's limp arms. Why is he pushing me-- _

> _"I thought I was going to stay with you." _

> _"You're not. The Oz are taking over Earth-- of course you can't stay. Move it!" _

> _Heero stumbled up the first stairs to the waiting space ship. His knee slammed into the edge of the step, and he cried out as pain exploded there. But I have to hurry-- he told me to move-- Heero scrambled up-- but fell again as his knee gave out with the pain. Traitorous tears leaked from his wide blue eyes as hands grabbed him beneath the shoulders roughly. _

> _"I-I'm sorry--" He croaked. His feet were planted firmly on the stairs and a rush of hot air burst out at him when one of the other ships roared skyward. Heero was turned around again, and held up. He could barely see the man's face through his tears, so he struggled to dry them and still his gasping sobs. _

> _"Damn it," the man cursed. Heero was shaken hard, once, as if to knock some sense into him. It only made him afraid, so he cried more. _

> _"Damn it...." The man sighed. "You have to go on the ship, Heero. They're going to destroy the Earth--" _

> _"I know," Heero warbled. "Why can't you come with me?" _

> _"I have to fly the Gundam-- you remember--" The man looked up past Heero, and nodded. _

> _"Three minutes until take off, Lowe," a rough, emotionless voice graveled from behind him. Heero shivered at the harsh tone, and suddenly he was crushed, arms wrapping tightly around him. Something small, and cold pressed onto his finger as the man pulled away. It was a pretty gold ring. Heero's tears returned. _

> _"Don't lose it Heero. And you can't forget me--" the man's hand grasped the back of Heero's head tightly, pulling his head up to stare into shimmering dark blue eyes. He's going away........ _

> _"I love you daddy...." A breath later Heero was thrown backwards into another pair of arms, these much less comforting. The shuttle door closed in his father's face. The man's eyes were closed. His dark hair was blown back tightly from his face, revealing lines, and lips drawn back tightly in a grimace. _

> _"Sit down."_ //


	2. Time

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 2 - Time

**After**

**Chapter 2 - Time**

  
Cold, and so quiet. Not even a fait buzz crackled in his helmet communicator... There had always been a buzz before; especially when he trained, and Jey would shout commands at him; deafening orders echoing even in space. 

  


> // _ Heero plastered himself to the small port hole as the ship shook, rattled and yet took off in one piece. His father's ring clanked against the glass. There were flashes of white-blue everywhere; Oz ships firing-- and whenever they hit; fire began. Other ships exploded. The runway that Heero's ship had left was now a pile of burning concrete and bodies and shards of escape ships.... _

> _"Sit back, boy. Forget the Earth." This was Mr. Jey. His father's friend; the Crillean. There was a reflection on the port glass that revealed hints of the figure beside him. Pale gray skin.... and metal. Metal for an arm that moved with sounds of circuits and wire. He wore a white trench coat; he could have passed for a doctor, except for the eyes. Mr. Jey's eyes were narrow, and dark, neither pupil nor white discernible; black as with all Crilleans. _

> _"Where's my dad?" Heero demanded. He wasn't afraid-- his dad would come after them. _

> _Mr. Jey leaned closer and used his metallic arm to point. It whirred as fingers folded and the index pointed to the fiery atmosphere of Earth as they left it. There were small blue electric Oz ships darting around the escape shuttles, exploding, flying and flashing their war. Heero searched the sky from this opposite view and opened his mouth in a small "O" of childlike awe. _

> _Another giant flying figure rose from Earth. It came from the blue that was the sea, and it rose with arms, legs of metal. It was a giant robot, only greater. Heero smiled excitedly as wings of white overlapping metal unfurled and the robot rocketed upwards. Earth turned. _

> _"Is my dad flying that!?" He asked excitedly, watching the amazing metal angel pull from gravity. It was held suspended in orbit a moment. Waiting, it seemed. _

> _"Yes," Mr. Jey chuckled. "Watch." _

> _"Is he going to follow us?" Heero bounced lightly in his seat. The Earth was getting further and further away, and his father's robot seemed a lot smaller now. _

> _The world turned white as the robot's fuel systems kicked in. Fuel burned brightly, as hot as the sun. The robot sped away faster than Heero could blink. His breath caught. _

> _"Where's the robot going--" _

> _"Robot?" Mr. Jey laughed. His breath was hot and foul on Heero's hair. "That, boy, is the Gundam. Your father is leaving with it." _ //

  
It's been so long.... I should calculate the years. Heero swallowed dryly. I was aged six when the Earth exploded-- Jey estimated my age at sixteen now. Ten years, After Earth. Have I really trained for so long..... 

  


> //_ "You will follow the mission as it is specified, 01. The parameters can not be 'negotiated'." _

> _"I won't--" _

> _"You refuse?!" Jey's voice was dark, and it sent a shiver up Heero's spine. At once his neck was seized in a grip of steel and the fingers grew tighter. Heero struggled painfully then stilled as Jey's face drew nearer and his obsidian eyes glittered dangerously. _

> _"I'll teach you to refuse, boy." //_


	3. Systems Check

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 3 - Systems Check

**After**

**Chapter 3 - Systems Check**

  
"Systems check," Heero rasped. His space suit beeped in acknowledgment of the command. 

"Oxygen is at thirty percent. No external tears are reported at this time. Estimated life support is two days." The high, electronic voice offered no pity in its bleak account of Heero's future. 

"Adjust oxygen flow to half. Adjust insulation to one quarter." 

"Warning; expressed adjustments potentially harmful to suit occupant. Warning--" 

"Adjust oxygen flow to half," Heero repeated. "Adjust insulation to one quarter. Override." 

There was no pause in the follow through, and Heero closed his eyes, slowing his breathing to utilized the reduced oxygen amount accordingly. Already the decrease in heat production was leaving him stiff with the cold of outer space. 

Why am I even bothering, Heero thought bitterly. The preservation of life is no longer necessary. My objective has been obtained.... 

  


> //_ "How was our location revealed?! Tuberoff-- where the hell are our shields?!" _

> _"Sir the shields aren't working, sir! We can't get them up--" _

> _"Incoming!!!" The scream was followed immediately by a bone jarring jolt. The ship pitched into a half roll. Jey roared out an order to return fire. One of the gunners screamed as the weapons panel exploded. _

> _"Systems down!! Hull breach in five-- four-- three-- two--" _

> _"Heero!" Jey roared. His ancient figure lurched across the plain of the control room. Pilots and star charters alike were screaming, and screaming. Heero held on tightly to the wall. The cold steel of it bit into his palm, but all he could do was smile grimly. Jey reached the and cracked the rustless metal arm across Heero's undefended cheek. He would have easily been able to block it, if he'd had the desire. All Heero did in return, however, was widen his smile, and walk away. He followed a few of the other crew members in their flight to the escape pods... But Heero passed them, and found the hull worker's cabinet. Where the space suits hung abandoned. He would not leave the ship. _

> _"Stop, soldier," Jey hissed. Heero didn't. He continued folding himself into the heavy cloth and metal of the suit. The oxygen filters wheezed as their cycle began. He breathed in the stale air, and stared at Jey's soured figure. He'd decreased immensely in size over the years. Gray skin now hung in fleshy folds around his neck, and the white trench coat was loose; smudged with smoke... _

> _"You will not leave this ship alive," Jey swore. His arm swung up. The fingers flattened and flashed out with blades. A very effective weapon. Heero just looked at him through the shaded glass of the helmet. The communications-unit beside his left ear crackled with screams that probably emanated from the control room. As Jey lunged, silence came. _// 

  
There was still blood on the suit's gloves. 

Heero moved his head sharply as an object neared. He focused. A body-- or a body part... It was followed by other charred sections of cargo, people and ship. Heero surveyed the wreckage, then returned to his meditative state, arms held loosely to his side to conserve heat, unmoving.... 

"Systems ch-eck." His voice faltered. The suit hesitated, as if it didn't recognize the dryer, dying version of Heero's order. 

"Oxygen is depleted. No external tears are reported at this time. Estimated life support is seventeen minutes." 

That's why it's so hard to breathe. 


	4. Mission Clear

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 4 - Mission Clear

**After**

**Chapter 4 - Mission Clear**

  


> //_ Heero broke Jey's neck with a simple twist. The old man was fast. He'd gotten in a few good punches, but now he was dead._

> _The ship rocked once, and Heero's head snapped up to watch a fireball spill through the hall way. He dropped Jey's body without a second thought and ran. He found an empty escape shoot and punched the opening latch. His body was sucked out with his gasp and he soared out before a dying burst of flame. On the other side of the ship was the Rapier, manned by Jey's ultimate rival Treize, in alliance with the Oz. It was ironic, that Jey, of all people, still had a grudge against the 'aliens', and would fight against them... The massive destroyer ship was only a few feet from the Wing Zero. Heero craned his neck as his body streamed further away. There was a strange rumble-- and the Wing Zero exploded. _// 

  
"Wa-a-a-a-arning; Approooa-aching dispatchchchch de-e-e-t-t-ected." Heero stiffened at the suit's broken warning. The systems were short circuiting. "Ffffou-u-ur kiiiii-meeeeetzzzz......" With a last groaning report the systems died. The small lights that decorated the lower portion of Heero's helmet vanished. Heero moved his arm to slap at the helmet weakly. His vision was graying. "Wa-a-a-rn--" 

  


> //_ "God-- you're alive?! Hey-- hey wake up!!" _

> _Heero felt a hand slapping at his face. Slapping at him? _

> _His eyes snapped open. He moved mindlessly and ripped the arm away. The figure hovering above him screamed as he threw it to the ground, grinding its back with his knee and wrapping his stiff fingers around its neck. It screamed and cursed again. _

> _"Geeeezus--" It was female. Human. It had a black pony tail sticking out of the back of its head, and it was bulky in a space suit. It cursed more. Heero gazed around the perimeter as the girl beneath him struggled. He was in some type of loading dock on a ship. There was a small hauling shuttle to his left; its engine was still idling. The ship was very quiet... This is the sole occupant, he realized. He looked at her small body. No weapons. He stood and jerked her up by the back of her suit. _

> _"Who are you?" He snapped. The girl ripped away and whirled on him. Her eyes were bright; very dark and human. So unlike Jey's... They were angry. _

> _"I am the captain of this ship for your information--" in a swift, purposeful movement she drew a laser pistol. Heero grabbed the weapon from her hand and had it rammed up against her neck. She gasped and looked at him fearfully. _

> _Her eyes are so large.... She's afraid. The mission does not require her death. I have no mission-- The thought had him faltering. The gun dipped, and he blinked swiftly. _

> _"I have no mission," he repeated. The girl looked confused, but didn't comment. _

> _No mission. I preserved the soldier... for no mission. No mission-- self destruct. Destroy the weapon. Heero moved the gun away. The girl began breathing rapidly and she backed away. Another gun appeared in her hand, but she held it loosely in shaking hands. _

> _"Put it down," she ordered nervously. _

> _Destroy the weapon. Heero lifted the barrel to his temple, angling it so the shot wouldn't just pass straight through. He pulled the trigger. _//


	5. The Silence Belt

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 5 - The Silence Belt

**After**

**Chapter 5 - The Silence Belt**

  
**Eleven A.E.** : Marimeia Mining Station. Four days in the Silence Belt;  
Weight of Cut: 72004 kimets; Miner 015 

  
"Heero." 

He didn't answer. She sounded mad. A mad Meiran was not a good thing. Heero shut off the speaker in his helmet and pressed in the pressure code for his thermal cutter. It beeped and the yellow tinged green 'flame' burst out. Heero gripped the handles as the massive cutting machine surged in his hands, and he leaned in. 

Cutting ore was a mindless job. The violent vibrations of the blade ripping through asteroids numbed his arms, and after an hour his thoughts followed into inactivity. It was always better to think of nothing... than to think at all... 

Meiran's going to beat me senseless when I get back, Heero mused around the gray haze of movement. His cutter passed through the rock finally and it shut off with a groan. He adjusted the harness to his back, and moved the severed hunk of metal-rock with a powerful kick. He was over the limit that his skit could carry, but he'd wanted one more piece before returning to the station. 

There's nothing for me to return to anyway, he sighed, watching the rock turn slightly away from his foot. Except for an angry Mei. 

  
  
Bright search lights heralded Heero's return to the loading dock. But they weren't for him. A ship was docking-- first priority, even above miners. Heero glowered at the sleek silver speeder humming before him. It wasn't a major cargo ship-- it looked more like a passenger.... 

"Request docking." Heero's voice was dry. He'd run out of stored water hours ago and his stomach churned for food. Fatigue is unacceptable. 

"Docking denied," a thick voice snapped. It was the dock master Kane. He was, as always, annoyed with the one human miner that could last longer in deep space than the Gnathians who were born of it. "Wait until the Gundam II docks, 015." 

Gundam. Heero's hand on the throttle of his skit clenched tightly. The electric engine roared along with the memories. Gundam. 

The Gundam is gone-- Jey confirmed it. We found the wreckage. Why is this named the Second? Heero rebooted his com-link. 

"Meiran." He waited for it-- 

"Damn it Heero! I was in the shower!! The one time you call me-- ahg! I'm dripping all over my floor--" 

"I'm sorry," he replied automatically. It had become a habit. She had drilled him in the proper form of apologizing after he'd almost killed himself in his first trip out cutting. And the second. She seemed to get very angry over that, and the only way to appease her was a direct apology. 

Meiran's end of the com was quiet. He could hear her softly counting to ten. It seemed to calm her down, sometimes. "You're sorry... Of course you are. You're getting entirely too good at saying you're sorry, Heero... What did you want?" 

"Check out the ship docking. It's called the Gundam II. Silver model; unknown manufacturer. Looks passenger--" He eased the skit closer. His thighs were nearing the numbed state that his arms were in, so he shut off the engine, waiting as the small flagging robots guided the ship to its connection port. 

"A ship? Cool! Gundam II, huh? What a weird name. Why do you ask?" Her voice was sharp and alert because of his interest. She was a smart girl. "You think it's a pirate?" 

"No. Too rich... This is just something for you to do." He could hear her shock. He rarely spoke so freely. She'd be surprised at how well I understand irony, and humor.... Death can do that to you. 

"You little-- ahh! Ahhh!" She screamed lightly, and laughed. "I'll give you the stats when you get in. Weasel. M out." 

"015 out." Heero nodded. There was a smile on his lips; gentle. He'd never had one before Meiran. Just a grimace.... 

"Request docking." 

"Docking denied damn it!! Wait 015 or I'll leave you out until the *next* ship!!" Kane openly disconnected Heero's signal and the ship docked with a light bang of metal. 


	6. Gundam II

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 6 - Gundam II

**After**

**Chapter 6 - Gundam II**

  
By the time Heero was finally heralded into the dock, Kane's shift had ended, and another Ouathan-- seemingly Kane's twin-- switched on the gravity engine with perfect timing. Heero's skit slammed to the docking cavern floor. He jumped down and locked it with rigged metal clasps. His cart of metals was being detached by an automated mech, and was rolled slowly over to the scale. 

Heero detached the cutter's harness from his back, and hefted the heavy device. It was a sight for him to do so-- few miners could carry a cutter in gravity... He felt the glare of a previously docked miner. A Crillean. Heero didn't bother looking at him. He hooked up the cutter to the wrack inside its appropriate locker beside the skit, and approached the check in office. Beyond the glass the Ouathan looked at him blankly as the information from the scale fed to his panel. A small green ticket was printed, and two sickly yellow skinned fingers pulled it from the sheet. 

"Miner 015. Cut 72988 kimets. Credits transferred." The ticket slid through an open window in the glass, and Heero took it. A few steps past the office was the dock hall; a small room separating the docking area from the main passages of Marimeia. He was through it swiftly, pounding down the dimly lit halls to the busier streets that teemed with miners and visitors, boarders traders pirates and soldiers alike. He still wore his helmet and suit. They were unneeded, but they were useful. Oz frequented Marimeia. Not in great numbers, but they were threats even in a pair. Beings made entirely of energy. Blue crackling electricity like the ships they piloted and the great mother entity ship that commanded the race. They were unconquerable. 

Makes you think about why they chose the human race to annihilate... Heero lowered his head as he passed a balcony where Oz over looked the busy intersection of trade booths and organisms. He made his way deeper into the station, to the living quarters of miners and boarders. He shared an apartment with Mei. He was content with a small room, in a cramped cold place that worked him to the bone. 

He approached level 7 and searched absently through the numerous pockets on his suit. His I.D. slid through the electronic lock smoothly, and the grayish door slid aside with a hiss. A small comfortless sofa greeted him, and a desk where the back of a small, dark haired head bobbed at him. The pony tail was gone, and Mei's dark hair hung in thick damp strands. She waved over her shoulder, not bothering to turn from the computer screen. Her fingers clattered swiftly over the board and she snorted. 

"Stupid security systems." Her words were left unexplained. Heero nodded, and retreated to his room. He removed the suit steadily; throwing it over the bar set up specifically for miners' space suits. His helmet came off with the rapid clicking of twenty latches and the hiss of an air tight lock. It accompanied his suit on the bar, and he sat on the stiff bed. The walls were disconcertingly close, but he was never claustrophobic. It was irrational to be afraid of anything intangible. 

Gundam.... The word came unpleasantly, and unwanted into his thoughts. 

"You'd better shower! I don't want you stinking up the place because you 'conveniently' forgot to come back after the second day!!" Meiran's voice was light but meaningful. She really didn't want him to stink up the apartment. 

"How's the research?" He called back. His shoulders rolled as he peeled off the thick under shirt and tank top. He was lean for his profession. Mostly from irregular eating, sleep and exercise habits-- those were constant. The ever tuned soldier, he thought appropriately. Heero shuffled into the closet-like shower room. There was a mirror. Meiran had insisted upon it. 'I have vanity and I want to preserve it. Now; pick it up and carry it.' Heero couldn't help but stare. 

I'm a ghost. 

His skin was pale; slightly damp from constant perspiration. His dark hair was flattened and matted to his head; helmet hair as Meiran would say. There were a few... scars... on his shoulders. Heero turned away, and stripped down. 

Heero dressed casually after his signature two minute shower with rationed water. Baggy black nylon space pants, and a simple worn tank top of recycled cloth. Blue. Meiran liked it because it 'Softens your eyes!! Aw you're so cute--' the she'd pinch his cheeks and he'd have to leave the room. He pulled on a pair of socks and ugly stiff black boots. Meiran finally looked at him when he entered the sofa room, a towel draped around his shoulders. She wailed. 

"Blue and black do *not* match Heero! What have I told you about that!?" 

"Blue and black do not match," he repeated. She glared and pointed to the computer screen. 

"Do you want your 'Gundam' or do you want to mock me some more?" 

Heero paused. She was so weird. "Request permission to contemplate proposition." 

Meiran groaned and lifted from the chair to pace. Heero sat on the couch and dried his hair. It stuck out at weird angles again, but he didn't mind. 

"... It's a personal ship," her report began from the back sleeping quarters, and grew louder as she returned. "Like you said, unknown manufacturer." Meiran sauntered from the halls, another one of Heero's shirts in her hand. It was a white version of his blue tank top. He took it and replaced the blue with out a word. Mei was back at the computer scrolling through documents. She continued. "Not much but registration on it. Galactic License Number 2398-456. Registered in the Braavo solar system. Captain is Quatre Winner. Only four total crew members though. Strange... A few items of cargo for trade..." She looked over at Heero who's expression was guarded. Calculating. 

"The Gundam..." His words were hesitant. He'd never spoken to Meiran about the explosion... or why he'd been floating in space for an entire week. She knew his name, and that was all. "Was a project Jey researched... And before on Earth....." He frowned and shook off the heavy shadow of the past. Back straight, chin level. "This does not compute." 

"Stop it," Mei scolded. "You sound like my computer." Her expression and voice grew softer, and she abandoned the artificially intelligent box at the desk, to sit by Heero and pat his fluffy hair comfortingly. "Jey?" 

He nodded. His thoughts were scrambled still-- even after a year. When he remembered floating alone.... Everything rushing back as space surrounded him... 

"Mister Jey. Expert in physics and chemistry, genetic alteration and engineering. He was an associate of my father on the Gundam project. I was trained under him as Soldier 01." 

Meiran digested the information quietly. Heero was unaffected. It was information deemed necessary to aid in the Gundam II investigation. Accepted. Meiran deserves to know. 

"What was the Gundam project?" Her hand smoothed back his hair softly, soothing the steely eyed young man. Once again he reported mechanically. 

"The Gundam was a robot brain child of the Romefellar Corporation. The Gundam was designed with the ability to colonize any planet, or create a new one if sufficient life supporting materials were not present. The Gundam held vats of Earthian organism DNA. The Gundam was piloted by Peter Lowe, and was driven into the uncharted solar systems located near the stars of the Hades constellation, as seen from the northern hemisphere on Earth. The Gundam--" 

"Stop!!" Meiran ordered tightly. "The Gundam okay!! God..." She rubbed her soft, pale cheeks quickly, looking stunned. "Create-- a new planet?" 

Heero nodded. There was something cool on his finger. It was slightly loose from his shower, and he found his thumb turning it. Turning it around his middle finger. Gold, round, spinning like the Earth... His eyes closed briefly. The smooth gold ring spun around his finger again.... 

"Is that why the Oz destroyed Earth?" 

The question was so small... Afraid again. Heero met her gaze. Tears were forming. A nod was all it took. 

"Because-- because we could create new life, they destroyed us!! That's-- God it's *sick*!!!" Her voice had risen slightly, and she gripped the cushion of the sofa in tight fistfuls. Heero found his own hand resting on the top of Meiran's. 

"What happened to the Gundam when Earth exploded?" Her voice had calmed a bit, and she slapped absently at Heero's comforting hand. He didn't move it. 

"It escaped before Earth was destroyed." Meiran's head shot up. Her coal eyes were wide and she grabbed Heero's arm. The excitement-- the hope on her face was terrible. 

"It got away?! Do you know where it is? Heero!" She stood up and bounced once. 

She's so hopeful. 

"Heero we could bring Earth back! We wouldn't have to live on this hell hole station or alien planets--" 

"The Gundam was destroyed three years ago." 

Meiran dimmed like an electric light. Her energy fizzing out at Heero's blunt, aloof words. 

"Are you sure?" 

  


> //_ "It's affirmative sir. The gundanium concentration of the debris matches that of the Gundam records." _

> _"Affirmative..." Jey folded his lanky arms thoughtfully. The motionless boy beside him was not affected by the report. He was alert to everything however-- eyes scanning the control room, watching every crew member every subtle movement. Watching Jey. _

> _"Your father did a wonderful job protecting it," Jey murmured. He gestured to a piece of debris that passed by the small front port window. It... it could have been part of the Gundam's metal wings-- a gundanium feather. _

> _"Beautiful," Jey sighed. His inky black eyes closed and he sighed._// 

  
"Yes." 


	7. Coding 768

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 7 - Coding 768

**After**

**Chapter 7 - Coding 768**

  
"Come on come on come on we're supposed to meet Aach-ja in the cafeteria-- she's got the four inch bolt for my flux drive. Uhg," Meiran moaned over her shoulder to Heero who plodded patiently along behind her. "She charged me out the ass for it;" her pause was followed by a wicked snicker. "But wait till I install it! Shenlon *will* be the fastest shuttle in the entire Silence Belt!" She cheered and rubbed her hands together eagerly. The pair stepped into the wide slightly busy hall. They passed under the neon sign that denoted the eating area and hung precariously over the door way to the cafeteria, and Meiran squealed eagerly. She turned quickly to Heero. 

"You go ahead and eat babe. Aach-ja and I have some girlie business to take care of!!" Her laugh faded off into the humdrum murmurs filling the cafeteria, and Heero filed into the food line. A rough looking Ignathan snorted as Heero picked up a food tray, then ignored the human. Another figure fell into line beside Heero and another after him. They were unusually quiet-- normally miners were raucous and jeering after leaving the emptiness for 'civilization'. Heero glanced over. Humans. Two. Garbed in some sort of uniform-- casual. Unidentifiable. Not miners-- travelers. Obviously new, and temporary, as the bright blue I.D. tags pinned to the front of their black jump suits declared. 

Partial crew of a ship... Heero grabbed a recyclable container of imported H20 and set it on his tray. The line moved down. The humans began speaking in low tones; just simple conversation........ 

".... to the Gundam... 065 hour--" 

Heero froze with a silent snarl on his lips... His neck turned of its own volition until he was staring directly at the back of the nearest human's head. The man was tall, and had light brown hair, oddly fashioned over his right eye. Beyond him was a more exotic human. Once termed Oriental. His face was impassive, pulled back as tightly as his jet black hair. They both seemed rather young... There was a badge of some sort on his uniform. It was a pair of wings with triangular feathers. Inscribed between were tiny, official letters. Gundam II. 

The Oriental man's gaze snapped away from his taller compatriot's face, and met Heero's scowl. He seemed surprised at the outright stare and with a repeated flicker of his dark eyes the other man was alerted, and he turned. Heero lost the Chinese man's eye and glared into an emerald orb. 

"Miner: 015 to Docking. Coding 768." The station wide intercom blared mercilessly into the cavernous cafeteria. Noise hesitated at the booming announcement, then resumed. Heero's eyes narrowed. He abandoned his Spartan tray, and strode past. 

Coding 768- my skit. The coding alert was usually reserved for emergencies. Heero's pace quickened, and he moved at a ground eating easy sprint. Ten minutes into the run he arrived at the dock hall and pounded through. There was the usual chaos of parting and arriving miners, added to the maintenance of the docked ship. Zane had returned to duty and was screaming at one of his service robots, ignoring the entrance of the irate miner. Heero's eyes immediately flew to the slot reserved for his skit. 

There was a dent in the posterior fender. A large one. About the size of the foot of the Ignathan standing behind it; waiting. Heero's anger flared. The emotional response triggered combat extension; offensive ready. Reactions occurred in him as they would with a battle robot, and he stalked over for confrontation. 

The broad, pale back of the humanoid Ignathan miner didn't turn as Heero neared. He seemed to be conversing with-- 

"Shut up you scrawny _kittorot_," the Ignathan snarled. Muscles in his back tensed as the massive arm swooped down. Heero altered the direction of his steps to see around the Ignathan. He was holding a figure in the air. Human by the size of its legs-- with long, braided hair. A female? Heero paused curiously. She had on a black suit similar to the Gundam crew members in the cafeteria. The third crew person. 

"Hey!" The human snapped indignantly. 'Her' voice was not so feminine after all. Heero revised his assumption. Male. "I am *not* scrawny--" the body began to writhe in the Ignathan's grip. With a grunt and gliding movement the human was slammed down-- directly onto the back of Heero's skit, deepening the dent. The human's groan was drowned out by Heero's guttural growl. 

"Get the hell away from my skit, Pirth." He knew that move. The testy miner had pulled it one too many times in brawls, sometimes with Heero... 

Immediately Pirth's trunk like neck twisted around to an abnormal degree. His snout sniffed, and large, filmy and lidless blue eyes narrowed. 

"015," he oozed. "This isn't your concern--" 

"It is if you're damaging my skit." Heero offered a threatening sneer, baring his glaring white teeth in challenge. "I can make you pay for it." 

"A human!" The offended human crowed. "Never thought I'd see any of those so far out here. Now--" Heero saw the man's legs kick violently as he struggled. "Let me go--oof--" Pirth pounded him harder into the skit, not turning to watch as he did so. He was grinding it in, watching Heero and meeting his challenge. 

Heero accepted. A soldier has nothing-- nothing-- to fear. 

Before he could reach Pirth the Ignathan was thrown backwards, wheeling off balance from the human's forceful kick. Heero now focused on the harassed man. 

What's wrong with me? 


	8. The Crew

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 8 - The Crew

**After**

**Chapter 8 - The Crew**

Warnings: Slight shounen ai beginning, some "gore". ^_^ Violence. 

  
He found himself paralyzed, just watching the man neaten his suit, and reach back to adjust his long braid. He was barely a man. Young, like the other crewmen of the Gundam II, and beautiful. He was pale, as all humans of 11 A.E. seemed to be... And his eyes were violet. Glittering angrily at the sputtering Ignathan as his bulk rose from the cold port floor. 

"I told you to get off of me," the human explained. His handsome face was amused, but his clear baritone was warning. He looked at Heero and smiled charmingly. He winked.... Heero just stared vacantly. 

The man was dangerous. He held himself in a ready for action stance. There was another token accompanying the Gundam II insignia, on his suit. It was simple, with black and white lettering: DEATH is HERE. 

"You're going to regret that _kittorot danjin_!" Pirth roared suddenly. He leapt onto the human, crushing him and Heero's skit beneath an estimated 300 kimets. The sickening crunch of metal was enough to set Heero's blood boiling. He fell into the pile immediately. Struggling and swinging limbs ensued. The brawl-- no, the battle-- initiated conditioned combat extension-- this was a battle. Muscles reserved for holding onto his cutter in space flexed-- they were toned better now than they had ever been. 

I can kill better-- the morbid thought flashed in and out of Heero's thoughts. The battle was more important than thinking, or the illusion of sanity. Battle. My mission-- 

"DON'T!" Someone screamed. "Don't kill him--" 

Heero focused on his hands. They were gripped impossibly tight around something thick, and gargling. Blood; red even in Ignathai, coated his fingers. 

"Explanation," he ordered sharply. No one answered. Pirth twitched vainly, and Heero's fingers sank deeper into the soft, yielding flesh of his neck-- 

"Stop!! Stop please there's no reason for him to die--" 

"There's always a reason for dying," Heero found himself replying. The words were flat on his tongue, and they were lifeless. They reminded him of Jey. Immediately he dropped Pirth back into a shuddering pile. The Station police were arriving. Miners were never arrested for brawls-- they were too important, and fights happened too often to regulate. Pirth was dragged away to the Medic Wing.... Heero shook off some of the blood on hands. Ignathan blood was thick. 

".... You're 01...." 

"Heero!!" Meiran's voice was... comforting. It retrieved him fully from the dark tunnel that had formed.... Heero rose from his crouch. His hands were sticky. He watched the girl sprint up, and skid to a halt beside the audience of three black clad figures. Her dark eyes were wide. "What happened--" 

"We got into a fight." The previously assaulted beauty stepped forward, and stood beside Heero, his arms crossed. Heero looked at him. "Of course we won." 

"Duo," a new voice scolded. "This isn't the time for that--" Heero turned his head wearily to look at the small blonde who spoke. He was smaller... than the other Gundam II crewmen.... Pale blue eyes..... 

"Just tellin' it like it is," Duo chirped. He unfolded his arms and slung one around Heero's shoulders. His face moved to within a hairs breadth of Heero's cheek. "'Heero' here did most of the work but I cheered him on--" 

Heero tensed. His personal space was being invaded, and while the boy's warmth was not unpleasant, the invasion was unwelcome. Strange. He grabbed Duo's upper arm, smearing the dark cloth with even darker blood. He shoved the young man away. Meiran was at his side now, touching his arm hesitantly. 

"Heero." Calm down, her voice said. Things were shutting down inside of Heero's mind. The urge to fight. His body trembled from spirited exertion, and he was hungry. Tired. 

"Heero." It was not Meiran speaking to him. It was the small blonde man. He'd gotten nearer than he should have, to a soldier. "You're Heero... Lowe? I'm Quatre Winner, captain of the Gundam II." His introduction paused politely, allowing the information to sink in. 

Heero refused it. He simply refused it. This *boy* can not know that name. That name died with the Earth and with the Gundam. Why did he bring them both back.. both of those names? 

"I've been searching for you, Heero-- 01," he added eagerly. "Are you still in contact with Mister Jey--" 

Heero attacked Quatre. Grabbed the front of his suit and pulled him close. He didn't expect the swift, expert fist that slammed into his chin; and although strong and accurate he wasn't phased. His pupils were dilated to the maximum. His breathing was shallow. Quatre's fist planted itself into Heero's gut next. It made him grunt, but he didn't fall yet. This was too important for the unconscious. 

"I killed Mr. Jey--" a hard, balled fist cracked against the back of Heero's head. The soldier was silenced. 


	9. The Pilots

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 9 - The Pilots

**After**

**Chapter 9 - The Pilots**

Warnings: Slight shounen ai.... More mystery ::le sigh:: xD Forgive me for any mistakes, I don't feel like editing much... [tired-- ZZZZzzzz...] 

  
".... me again why I let him near the 'fridge?" 

"I don't know, Meiran," a sweet voice sighed. "But it happens all the time... Poor, unsuspecting fools." 

Soft laughter drifted into Heero's world. He'd been awake for a long time, but the conversation from the entry room was only just beginning to filter in past his headache. He assumed that the tall, odd haired Gundam II crew member had brained him. He was the only one not in view when it'd happened. 

Heero rubbed the back of his head methodically, soothing out the lump that was beginning to form there. The blood on his hands had been cleaned off, thankfully. 

I overreacted, he thought. Attacking over a material possession... But it's all I have. 

Purple eyes. 

His frown increased. What? But he understood perfectly, because that glimmering, amused pair of eyes haunted him. Vibrant-- not a hint of death consumed them while all around were those tainted with it. Or, like himself, consumed by it. 

He's an enemy, Heero thought fervently. Only the scheming and *brainless* would revive the Gundam after its ancestor's own gruesome end. 

"Good morn--" 

Heero jumped up in surprise. Surprise for a soldier was not good-- he whipped around the laser pistol he kept beneath his pillow and aimed between a wide pair of purple eyes, shadowed partially by messy brown bangs and set in an elven visage. He blinked away slight dizziness and narrowed his eyes meaningfully. 

"Get out." 

Duo blinked once. He raised graceful hands, revealing a half eaten Crillean bread roll in one. 

"Sorry to disturb you. Mei just figured you'd be up by now." He grinned, catching Heero completely off guard. The smile was genuinely unafraid and friendly. Immediately he was suspicious. The pistol never wavered. He called her Mei, Heero grumbled. 

Slowly, inch by inch, his arm lowered. Duo waited patiently, chewing on the bread. He was noisy, and staring at him. 

"Stop staring at me. You can go." 

Duo's smiled and shrugged. He turned around, his long braid swishing about with him. When his footsteps faded, and conversation picked back up, Heero sat down heavily. His headache was back-- he tensed. Footsteps again. By the time the small innocent figure appeared in his doorway Heero was once again in his towering pose. The gun fell however as Meiran began nagging. 

"I knew you'd be up and brooding back here." She tapped her foot on the cool floor, arms crossed and her expression firm. She was pretty when calm, and ragingly beautiful when angry. Heero lowered his gaze reluctantly. She couldn't rival him in ferocity of a stare, but she had a lot of stamina. She'd stand for hours glaring at him until he relented, then she'd cheer and laugh at him. 

"Please come out. Quatre is a good person-- and he knows a lot about the Gundam--" 

"I've already explained that the Gundam is dead, Meiran," Heero warned. The girl was on dangerous ground. "They're trying to bring back something that needs to stay dead." 

"Don't you even *care* about the human race?!" She snapped. "We have a chance because they're searching for the Gundam when everyone else has given up on it--" she gave him a meaningful look. "I thought I taught you something about trust, Heero." 

"Trust." He repeated the word thickly, not liking the foreign taste. What have I got to trust in a world that always betrays me? "Non existent." 

"Stop it!" She screamed and swung her arms wildly, gesturing with silent fury. "You're not a machine! You're a human just like me and the pilots--" 

"Pilots?" Heero responded sharply her words. He stepped closer to her and grabbed her slender arm. Meiran's mouth opened in surprise. I'm hurting her. But she mentioned pilots-- "Pilots, Meiran, what pilots?!" 

"The Gundam pilots--" she stammered. The sudden emotion in Heero's cerulean eyes was unnerving. "Quatre and Duo--" 

"There were four!" Heero insisted. Meiran nodded. 

"... Trowa and Wufei. Four. They pilot the Gundam II." 

Four pilots for the Gundam. The II is their substitute... Heero released Meiran slowly. He swung around swiftly to face the far wall of his room to avoid her hurt, confused look. 

Lowe had designed the Gundam from the first gear in the robot's hands to its fully functional wings. There were so many controls and functions that one captain would never be able to pilot it-- not even two could... So four were needed, and the fervent scientist had supposedly found the best for the job, before Earth was destroyed along with half of its population-- the pilots included. 

"How were they trained?" 

"What?" Meiran asked softly, not daring to speak higher than Heero's strained gasp. 

They wouldn't have revealed that, Heero deduced. All they know is that they need the Gundam, and that I was the last to know it. 

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Heero," Meiran finally spoke, clearing her throat and moving to leave him to his dark ruse. "... But please come out, when you feel like it...." 

Heero nodded, but she was gone. 

  
  
He followed Mei moments later, but elected to hang out in the hall, eavesdropping. He had a perfect view of the simple kitchenette area, where Duo was rummaging around in the empty mini 'fridge and cabinets. He was humming happily. The others were still lounging in on the sofa and floor. 

"I didn't mean to upset him so much," the blonde, Quatre, stated. "I knew him as a child... He's changed a lot..." 

"He was a child?" A snobbish voice muttered. 

Meiran's laugh was soft. Very unlike the usual cheery chuckle. "I'm with Wufei. It's hard to imagine Heero as a child... Ever..." 

Heero folded his arms, still fingering the trigger to his pistol. He had a clear shot of everyone in other room... 

"What're you doing hanging out here?" 

Except for Duo. Heero didn't even bother looking up. The boy was weird. 

Munch, munch. He ate loudly, too. Heero's gaze rose slowly. He prepared his best glare-- 

Duo's smile was ready, as was a wink of one glittering violet eye. On an impulse Heero raised the gun. 

"*Don't* wink at me," he ordered. His temper flared as Duo's eyes crossed impishly and he began winking rapidly, smile firmly in place. Weird. This is a pilot? He wondered. 

Then Duo moved. His hand flashed out, and grabbed the pistol from Heero's grasp with a simple twist. Heero now stared down the barrel of it. His eyes refocused onto Duo's. They were still bright, but a little more grave. 

"You're not very courteous-- trying to shoot your guest twice in one day--" he shook his head sadly, pouting out soft, pale lips. 

"You're not my guest," Heero replied evenly. He purposefully turned his head to look at the gathered audience at the front of the hall. Quatre's eyes were wide, and it looked as if his tall companion was about to knock Heero out again. Meiran held her head in her hands, and was mumbling about the "shouldn't have let him eat the rotten cheese in the back cupboard." 

"You're a mistake," Heero spoke suddenly. In a swift, violent strike he reclaimed his abducted pistol and rammed Duo against the wall, arm crushing his neck. This time he held the others at bay with the gun. They were angry. Meiran began scolding him again but Heero had had enough. Enough of the false hopes and the crazed, *dead* pilots. 

"You're all stupid," he hissed. "I saw the Gundam in *pieces*-- you're at a dead end." He released the struggling Duo and shoved him towards his friends. "Leave and I won't kill you like the other 'pilots' that decided to take up the search..." His head throbbed distantly to the beat of his heart. It took 45 beats for anyone to speak. 

"You saw the Gundam?" Quatre asked. He was a persistent idiot, Heero decided. Duo was glaring now, at Heero and straight through him. There was anger all around. It's such a common emotion. 

"In pieces?" The dark haired Asian added. "What do you mean by that?" 

"He said that it was destroyed," Meiran piped up. "For sure--" 

"And Jey is gone too..." Quatre's words faded as did a certain crystal light in his eyes. He lowered them, arms folded. His skin was so pale, and cool against the black of his uniform... 

This is what hope looks like, when it's dying... And I'm the murderer. 

"We're not done searching, Quatre. 'Heero' here might be misinformed--" The Chinese man continued forcefully, throwing Heero an annoyed glare for upsetting their leader. 

"No, Wufei," Quatre whispered with conviction. "He's not lying--" Quatre's hand waved through the air before him, and he patted his chest lightly. "I feel it in my space heart...." 

"...." Wufei's silence was obvious refusal. Heero watched the little captain. He was small. Weak. Pale, and emotional. Too empathetic... Yet, according to his crew members' expressions, he held their devotion. His faith, was theirs-- completely. 

"I can bring you to the coordinates of the wreckage." 


	10. Brief Contact

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 10 - Brief Contact

**After**

**Chapter 10 - Brief Contact**

Um: this is just a filler... I felt like including some more flirting... Shounen ai warning. 

  
Heero reluctantly accepted his ticket of absence from Kane. He had one week to return, and then he would be charged on his skit parking, and cutter rental. The Ouathan was watching him oddly, as Heero checked the damage on his skit, and reported it to the repair 'bots. Sharp eyes followed his every move-- Heero felt the gaze stabbing into his back. This was not a good observation. 

He left the skit parking to meet Meiran and the pilots-- the *crew*, not pilots-- of the Gundam II in the upper level of the docking port, where their ship was humming idle and where they would board it. 

They'll see it, and understand why they're a threat. The Oz will finish the job if they find out about a second Gundam Revolution-- 

Heero's thoughts were jolted along with his body as something firm bumped into his hip. He glanced over in alarm, and glared. The-- the *thing* was incessant. 

"Hey Heero," Duo greeted him. He was walking in time to Heero's ground eating pace, keeping his slender body as close as possible, thereby initiating smooth caressing contact of his hips and Heero's with every other stride. Heero adjusted his pace accordingly to avoid Duo's swaggering hips. 

"You're not supposed to be stalking me," Heero complained. "You're supposed to be 'piloting' your ship and preparing for our voyage--" 

"Nah. We can't lift off with out all four of us, and Wufei is back at your flat with Meiran--" 

Heero stopped. He stared at Duo sharply. That rude little human is *alone* with *Meiran* in our *appartment*?!? He abruptly turned, fingering the loop of his jumper to make sure his pistol was still there and loaded-- 

"Hey hey hey," Duo laughed as he trotted alongside Heero. One arm looped with Heero's and he was turned awkwardly. Heero shoved Duo angrily and turned to go again. This time Duo placed his entire body in Heero's way. They bumped noses, surprising both into shocked, frozen stances. Duo had one hand cupping Heero's elbow and Heero had somehow ended up clutching Duo's waist. A strange heat began to creep up from Heero's neck, slowly into his jaw, and finally it warmed his cheeks. He backed away immediately and huffed nervously. 

"Move," he ordered. As little words as possible, his mind agreed. Duo seems to thrive on conversation... 

Duo shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tilted his head enough to the rope-braid behind him swinging. The tail end of it could just be seen past the slight space between his thighs-- Heero wrenched his gaze up. The heat in his face was a strange, new reaction to a distressing situation-- Distressing?! He debated arguing such a categorization. Thoroughly confused, he substituted the newly evolved emotion for a much more common one. Simple, precise, and effective. 

His arm swung upwards as if on a spring. Duo stared down the dark, glittering barrel of Heero's gun for the umpteenth time. 

"M o v e," Heero growled carefully, making sure Duo understood every slow consonant. A flash of annoyance crossed the strange boy's normally neutral-happy face. Even he, apparently, had limits. 

"I'm *really* getting tired of ending up like this," he admitted, studying Heero's unwavering weapon. His eyelids fluttered lower to close and he folded his arms nonchalantly. "I was just trying to keep you from making an unnecessary trip back to your apartment, since I'm sure we'd all very much like to get on with this trip. Wufei's a good person, once you get past that "women are weak" thing. And as far as I can tell Mei's quite a chick-- she can take care of herself..." Duo flung his arms out wide, offering his palms to the narrow walls of the halls of Marimeia. He opened his eyes and looked at Heero, his face blank, and waiting. 

He needs to stop looking at me like that. Purple eyes, Heero scoffed. The gun lowered and flipped reluctantly back into his belt. 

"I'll kill you both if you're wrong," he promised. Duo rolled his eyes and rotated one hand dismissively. He tromped back down towards the boarding level. Heero kept a safe distance behind him. Once, and only once, he found his eyes following the halting swing of Duo's braid as he walked. It didn't keep time with the sway of his hips-- Heero growled and walked faster. He soon over took Duo, glad to have the young man's complaints of "too faaaaast!!" over other, more distracting commotion........ 


	11. Leaving Marimeia

Body

After - Ch. 11 - Leaving Marimeia  
A shounen ai Gundam Wing fanfiction  
by tan 

  
**Warnings**: Remember this is a shounen ai story. Not much but babble in this chapter, but there are a few 'important' stuffs... 

  


  
  


"Engine at 4700 rotations. All clear to leave dock. Zero Two, begin count-- Zero Five initiate boosters. Passengers buckle down." Quatre's voice snapped out fluid commands as the Gundam II started to hum. Heero buckled into one of the vacant seats set up against the far end of the control room. Meiran was leaning forward against her restraints, watching curiously as each pilot's hands flew deftly over panels, and gazing up the captain as he shouted out commands that pulsed along with the holo-map before him. 

It was built, to model the Gundam, Heero realized darkly. They're so disillusioned... Even-- even _if_ the Gundam still existed the Oz would destroy it. They destroy everything... 

".... Five. Four. Three. Two. One-- ignition!" Duo's voice counted swiftly, excitement bleeding into it. He turned and smiled enigmatically at his audience. A faint whirring began, and Heero felt the light jerk of backward movement. It was moving rather fast for a release docking-- 

"Duo," Quatre barked warningly. The Captain was smiling, but gave the sheepish looking pilot a firm look. Acceleration decreased to a normal speed. 

"It moves like a dream!" Meiran murmured to Heero. "I'll bet it has D Ribs-- and a hollow frame. The boosters have to be titanium shelled..." She trailed off with a ponderous sigh. Heero remained motionless. He too had felt the swiftness of the Gundam II's response to commands. It was manufactured well, he admitted begrudgingly. 

"Release complete," Wufei announced. "Reversing stabilizers and boosters-- now." 

The switch over to forward movement was flawless. Only a brief flare of sound occurred, and the Gundam II was flying. 

"Thank you Marimeia Station Mining Station for the brief accommodations. Expected return is three days." Quatre finished his departure log and waited expectantly, rolling his eyes as Duo propped his feet up on the panel and leaned as far back as the pilot seat would allow. Several minutes passed, and Quatre frowned. "They're not responding." 

Heero's eyes zeroed in on the com. No static, or attempted reply from Marimeia. Quatre repeated his hail. 

They hear him... But they choose not to respond.... Heero's mind flashed through possibilities quickly and memories resurfaced. The strange, attentive glare from Kane, the dock manager, and the same stares from the entire docking crew. The absence of Oz from Marimeia central. 

"Try again," Trowa encouraged. He stood gracefully from his pilot seat and moved up to the captain's platform. Quatre complied, and Trowa worked absently at the com switches. 

"Gundam II please halt-- there seems to be something wrong with your-- boosters. We're sending out a repair bot to check it out." 

Quatre's frown deepened. "Negative, Marimeia. Nothing is coming up about the boosters on our systems. Could you be more specific?" Trowa murmured something too soft for Heero to hear, and Quatre nodded. "Go ahead." 

They're detaining us. Damn. 

"Zero Four I have a warning. A fleet of Oz battle ships is heading toward Marimeia. They're increasing speed--" Wufei's warning was well received. The crew of the Gundam II were at attention immediately, and the engines roared gently. 

"Preparing for light speed," Trowa intoned. 

Heero's eyes followed each of their movements, and Quatre's unhurried acknowledgments. His gaze moved around the room and stopped on Meiran. She seemed little troubled, and a small square device, with a smaller red button, was held in her relaxed palm. Heero recognized it immediately. 

"You're a fool," he told her. Meiran gave him a glance that denoted further discussion of such a denouncement. Duo's excited whoop preceded the Gundam II's violent leap into light speed. Meiran grinned sweetly and pressed the red button on the detonation device firmly. 

On miner residence level 7 of Marimeia Mining Station, a small explosion rocked the floor. All evidence in the quarters of miner 015, and civilian Li, Meiran, was erased therein. The Gundam II continued its journey, pursued. 

  


  
  
^^ Took me long enough to write this... Eh. Writer's block. You understand. ^_~V. Review? Perhaps.  
  


  



	12. The Story

Body

After - Ch. 12 - The Story  
A shounen ai Gundam Wing fanfiction  
by tan 

  
**Warnings**: More shounen ai. More chances for me to include psychotic, completely science-fiction technology crap. In other words; crap. 

  
  


  
  


"Heero?" 

Heero didn't turn as Quatre entered the square little room he was to board in... For an indefinite amount of time... He was watching nothing, as it passed by in slow strips of stars and space through the port window. The captain of the Gundam II stood silently, just inside Heero's room. 

"You wanted something?" Heero inquired emotionlessly. 

"Yeah! We want more details on the Gundam II. And since Quatre never mentioned it was *your* Peter Lowe that created it, tell us a little about yourself too-- ow ow ow Quatre! Quatre that hurts--" Duo's rapid fire inquiry irked a small glare from Heero, and he turned slightly before catching himself. He could just make out the silhouette of Quatre pulling Duo's braid in the doorway. 

"I can't believe you disobeyed a direct order-- and I can't believe you have so little tact Duo!" Quatre barked, tugging roughly on the braid once more, before throwing Duo out of the room. Duo mumbled dejectedly and walked off, stomping purposefully down the hall. Quatre sighed and turned to face Heero. His face was childlike with apology. 

"I'm sorry. Duo... Is Duo. You'll understand when you get to know him--" 

"What did you want?" Heero interrupted. The boy was talking to him, looking unsolicited. As if I didn't have the urge to destroy everyone of them, Heero wondered. I won't, yet... 

"I was going to offer you a tour of the ship-- *and* I was going to ask you more about Lowe's Gundam..." Quatre admitted sheepishly. "But if you decline the later, I'd still like to give you a tour--" 

"I don't want a tour," Heero replied evenly. He finally turned to face Quatre, and folded his arms. The captain looked him straight in the eye. His blonde hair was naturally ruffled, and he held himself erect, proud. He's fearless, Heero thought curiously. No wonder they have such high hopes for the Gundam.... Hope died so soon for me. "I'll tell you what I know..." He paused, and glanced toward the door. "Duo..." 

A small, muffled "eep" erupted from the hall, followed by a moment of silence. Quatre stepped out, and glared. 

"Figures," he stated simply. Duo jumped at him a second later, and laughed in embarrassment, nearly sending both himself and Quatre sprawling onto the floor. Heero watched them with dead eyes. Displays of affection... Confused him. Meiran was rarely like that-- she'd learned, after a few shocking and painful retorts. Jey had never been affectionate... And he couldn't remember anything before... 

"You can come in, if you can shut up," Heero announced mildly. Duo was already sauntering in. He flopped down onto the bed that Heero should have been occupying, and sighed contentedly. 

"Go on, story teller," Duo instructed. Quatre covered his face for a second, then sat in the single vacant chair of the room attentively. Heero began immediately. His story was fast, and the facts... I should have invited Meiran in, as well, he thought after a few minutes of history.... 

"I was taken as Mr. Jey's trainee After Earth. I was not informed of the Gundam before then. Mr. Jey was an engineer on the project, and as I was trained I was given specifics." Heero paused. "The Gundam was a robot from the Romefellar Corporation. It was designed to colonize any planet, or create a new one without sufficient life supporting materials. It held vats of Earthian organism DNA. The original plans for the pilot were for Peter Lowe-- and was then divided into four assignments. After Earth it was driven near the stars of the Hades constellation, as seen from the northern hemisphere on Earth...." He paused appropriately, letting the basics sink in. None of it seemed hard for the pilots to digest... He continued. 

"Mr. Jey initiated a search for the Gundam immediately. Sections of the body and wings were found suspended three hundred kimeters from the estimated location. It was assumed the Oz had discovered it. The Gundam search ended." 

No one spoke... Not even the gentle hum of the Gundam II's engines penetrated the story's end... Then, Quatre let out a deep breath, and spoke. 

"I was trained to be a pilot by my father. We were all trained, for this specific job. I only began the search for the Gundam a year ago..." He stood up, and saluted. Heero's brows twitched. "I'm Soldier 04, Pilot 4. Duo--" 

Duo stood lazily, and gave a more modified/thumbs-up version of the salute. He smiled proudly. "I'm Soldier 02, Pilot 2. Nice to meet you Soldier 01!" 

"Jey trained you as 01," Quatre repeated. "I remembered you when my father visited the Wing Zero. That's why I decided to find you. You're the first pilot of five--" 

"There were four," Heero snapped. Four pilot stations-- Jey had drilled that into his head. I'm just a Soldier. Zero One, for Jey's first. 

Quatre hesitated, deciding whether or not to argue. His eyes were fiery, and he had begun to speak with his hands, waving them vaguely in emphasis. "Four pilots," he agreed faintly. "But five soldiers. You're the key, Heero. The one that ties everything together." Quatre smiled, unable to deny his excitement. "Even-- even if the Gundam is destroyed Lowe would have made some way to rebuild it--" 

"Of course," Heero sighed. He was tired... Quatre's faith was tiring in its zeal. I saw the wreckage myself, Heero reflected... Damn it.... 

"Captain--" a voice blared over the ship's intercom. It was Wufei's urgent voice. "The Oz have caught up we need you and Maxwell in the control room for defense." 

Quatre gave one fast glance to Heero and bolted out the gaping door. Duo remained motionless on Heero's bed.... He was snoring, softly. 

Ridiculous-- Heero growled roughly and stomped over. He grabbed the front of Duo's suit lightly, and shook. Duo complained loudly without opening his eyes. Eventually they cracked open as he sat up. Heero froze. He was still glaring... but Duo was so close... His breath was warm, past immobile lips that smiled so frequently.... 

"I like your eyes," Duo whispered suddenly. Heero opened his mouth-- it worked in fitful silence, and he released Duo, straightening rapidly and taking staggering steps backward. 

"You were called--" Heero stated gruffly. "To the control room for defense tactics." 

Duo's eyes brightened dangerously and he leapt from the bed. Heero watched his lithe body bound away, followed lastly by a fast snap of his braid in the door frame. 

  
  


  
  
My God where did this chapter come from... I think I wrote it to clear the story out in my head... There are actually tiny conflicting elements from previous chapters, but it's not that bad. Uhhg; yes it is.  
  


  



	13. Beam Cannon

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 13 - Beam Cannon

**After - Chapter 13 - Beam Cannon**

  


  


Warnings: 'Member when I said this is a shounen ai story? Well... It will be... ::grumble:: Oh. Thanks for reminding me I have a story to finish! I think you know who you are... ^_^V Merci beaucoup, quelqu'un... 

  
  


  
Sharp red alarm lights from the ship flashed in Heero's eyes as he stalked down the hall, in the direction of the control room. Meiran erupted from her room and ran on ahead... He took his time..... 

They won't find it, he reflected. And they can't rebuild it-- the Oz will hunt down every human left in the universe then, just to make sure there are no usurpers remaining... and that none will ever be born. 

An unexpectedly calm control room greeted Heero, and he stood calmly in the door frame. The holo screen displaying the coordinates of the Oz fleet flickered. Quatre's eyes were hard and focused; the eyes of a captain, on a mission. 

A mission. 

  
_

> "What do you live for, 01?" 

_

_

> "The mission," he answered. 

_

_

> "What is the mission?" 

_

_

> "The mission is to find the Gundam. To be a perfect soldier." 

_

_

> "Will you fail the mission?" 

_

_

> "No." 

_

_

> "Why not?" 

_

_

> There was no pause in the child's response. His sapphire eyes were trained on the gray wall before him, unwavering, unfeeling.... "I am a soldier. Perfect soldiers do not fail the mission." 

_

_

>   
  


_

_

>   
  
"Heero?" 

_

_

> Heero looked up from studying his work order. Meiran had poked her head into his room. He... he felt-- kindness, for her. Care? 

_

_

> "Yes?" 

_

_

> She stepped further into his room and folded her arms before her. He'd only known her a few months, but the gesture was already familiar. She was going to either yell at him, or interrogate him. 

_

_

> "Why.... why did you try to kill yourself, when I found you?" 

_

_

> Heero blinked, and Meiran continued with a slight tremor in her voice. 

_

_

> "You said-- that you had 'no mission'.... What did you mean?" 

_

_

> Heero's eyes glazed slightly. He hated remembering.... 

_

_

> "I'm a solider," he replied softly. "I live for the mission...." 

_

_

> Her eyes widened slightly, as she caught on... Heero watched, fascinated, as tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly. 

_

_

> "Heero," she whispered. "You're not a soldier anymore..." 

_

_

> He didn't reply. She wiped angrily at her face and turned around.... He knew that he upset her... 

_

_

> "You should have let me die," he replied blandly. "I'm a weapon--" 

_

_

> "You're not!" She shouted over her shoulder. "And I should *not* have let you kill yourself that's stupid!! You're a person and every 

_person_ deserves to live!! Damnit Heero!!!" She sniffled and whirled around to glare at him. "You're the only person that can make me cry and swear at the same time!" _

  
  


"Fifteen seconds to approach. Are the cannons ready, Zero Two?" 

"Affirmative!" Duo sang out, poking his panel cheerfully. "I have power level at maximum!" 

"Zero Three; guns?" 

"Affirmative," Trowa answered. 

"Zero Five I'll take navigation and shields-- we'll continue on our course to Hades. Partner with Zero Two on the cannons." Quatre finished orders and narrowed his eyes at the holo screen. "Two seconds pilots--" 

Quatre's warning was followed by a violent rocking motion of the ship as the Oz offensive began. Meiran lurched into her seat and watched the pilots' movements avidly. Heero grasped the door frame and heard a faint metallic click from his finger.... He tapped it once more in an unconscious gesture of assurance. 

  
  


_

> Jey's eyes narrowed to slits of obsidian, and he smiled dangerously at the small boy that tap tap tapped his fingers against the metal of his chair.... 

_

_

> "Did your father give you that, boy?" 

_

_

> Heero pulled his hand away from the seat, and tucked it beneath his chin... He was afraid of Mr. Jey-- and father-- father had *left* him-- 

_

_

> Jey smiled crudely at Heero. 

_

_

> "Keep it...... maybe you'll get to use it, someday...." 

_

  
  


Tap tap tap.... Heero watched the holo screen as white forms darted across it, surrounding the sleek Gundam's shape. There were hundreds. 

"Ooooooo yeah baby! Damn I'm good-- say I'm good Wu, say it--" 

"Shut *up* Maxwell!!" Wufei snarled. His gunner chair swung violently as he twisted around to fire. Duo laughed morbidly from his own. According to the holo screen they were wiping out the Oz squadron by squadron... Rather efficiently... Heero scowled. 

"You copied the Gundam's cannon design?" 

Quatre's fingers flew swiftly over navigation's keys and he nodded. 

"It was the best." He went no further in his explanation. 

"I feel so useless!" Meiran sighed. "If I had Shenlon..." 

"You'd still be sitting here, watching, not participating," Heero added smoothly. He stalked over and sat down next to her, keeping his eyes on the action displayed by the rapid beeps and blinks from the holo screen. 

".......... two three four five-- I fixed the flux drive thank you very much, and I had the guns upgraded--" 

"You wouldn't have a chance against so many Oz," he interrupted, giving her a stern glance. "Your shuttle is a transport ship, not a fighter." 

Meiran fumed silently beside him. She hated it when he called 'Shenlon' a shuttle. It was an interesting quirk for her-- much like his possessiveness for his mining skit.... 

"_Shenlon_ was a multipurpose ship. Shut up." 

"Three more fleets of Oz are gaining we'll have to use the beam cannon," Quatre snapped. One furious punch to the control panel sent the room into a darkened state-- four pale lights erupted from the panels to illumiate certain casts imprinted there; in the shapes of hands... Meiran watched wide eyed as each pilot pressed a hand firmly into the cast. Quatre from his captain's deck watched the holo screen. The Oz were surrounding the Gundam, and it jerked sharply with blasts from the Oz ships. 

A beam cannon.... Heero stood from his seat and moved closer to the holo screen, watching... An arm like projection split from the Gundam II's shape, and took aim. 

"Fire." 

  



	14. Aftermath

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 14 - Aftermath

**After - Chapter 14 - Aftermath**

  


  


Warnings: Warning, this is totally just a filler.... Maybe a break for comedy, but I'm not very funny as you can see... -____-* Je m'excuse, et commencé à lire... Uhg, I butcher funny, I butcher French... 

  
  


  
The holo screen turned white. Nothing discernible remained, except for the blinding white cloud that emanated from the beam cannon and swiveled around to flood out the entire holo screen. The control room was plunged into darkness..... Heero's hand began to burn. He glanced at it absently and noticed the abnormal glitter of the ring. 

The holo screen pulsed, and Heero raised his hand to silhouette in the light. The ring pulsed in time. The screen faded out.... And his ring's luminescence died along with it... 

"Everything with in a seventeen thousand kimet radius has been destroyed," Quatre sighed wearily. "How are we on power, Duo?" 

"Uhh-- half. Damn!" 

"Half?" Quatre repeated. The lights in the control room flickered on. "... I'll set a course for the nearest refueling station. It's a little out of our way but we've bought some time." 

Duo snorted loudly and scooted around in his gunner chair to look over the back at Quatre. His eyes were still feverishly bright from battle. "A little time, and a helluva lot of shit. They're going to be on our asses as soon as word gets back." 

"For once, I agree with 'it'," Wufei muttered, running his hands swiftly through his hair. "I think we've officially destroyed your diplomacy, Quatre." 

Quatre gave pilot 05 a dark look-- or as dark as it could get, coming from him. He slowly folded back into his seat. "Who has first watch?" 

"I'll take it," Trowa supplied. He was already up and ascending Quatre's platform. "I'll wake you when we reach the fueling station." 

Quatre's smile was soft, and it mingled with a pale blush as he stood and brushed past Trowa. He touched the taller pilot's shoulder and murmured a thank you. Heero watched Quatre step down and exit the control room. 

"They're so sweet together," Meiran hissed. She attached herself to Heero's arm and started dragging. 

"Hn. How do you know they're 'together'? Have you been spying?" He deadpanned. Meiran halted and looked at him with impossibly wide brown eyes. 

Whack!! She slapped his head and started cursing. 

"You jerk! I do not *spy* on people I can just tell! Uhhhhg Heero!!!" 

Something warm and firm pressed up against Heero's opposite side, and suddenly his arm was wrapped forcibly around someone's neck. Duo's face popped up close to his and he grinned at Meiran. 

"Actually they're not together yet-- they just run around each other with hearts in their eyes. It's *so* obvious they're into each other though--" 

Meiran gasped and leaned forward in front of Heero. "They're not?! They're *perfect* though!!" 

Duo nodded emphatically and wrapped one arm around Heero's waist so he could lean closer to Meiran and whisper. 

"I've been trying for *ages* to get them in the sack-- I even locked 'em in a closet--" 

"Twice," Trowa interjected calmly. Meiran and Duo froze. Heero glared, and started peeling either leech off of him. 

"Get, off," he growled. Meiran ignored him and had the decency to lower her face and sprint out of the control room. Duo, however, was immobile. He now had his arm curled around Heero's neck and was smiling at him. 

"'Cmon, grumpy, I'll take you to see the Gundam plans we picked up from Quatre's pop, but only if you're good." 

Heero jammed his elbow into Duo's side and stepped away as the cheerful pilot coughed, wheezed, and doubled over. 

"Don't touch me," he barked.... Then he paused.... "Plans." 

Duo laughed brokenly and raised his head enough to squint at Heero. Something.... something akin to guilt, was rolling up from Heero's anger.... I've never had guilt. 

Duo straightened and rubbed his stomach. "You've got one sharp elbow, bud. And yes, plans. Quatre was going to show them to you after your tour, but being the smart guy that you are, you 'declined'." 

Heero decided reluctantly that his glare was an insufficient response to anything Duo said to him. Because Duo just smiled beatifically, and spoke in greater volume... 

"But I like you. I'll show 'em to you any way... Maybe you can decipher the startup code." 

"You sound like Meiran," he muttered darkly. Duo straightened his jumpsuit and grabbed Heero's hand, wrapping his fingers tightly around it and running. 

"Thanks!" He chirped, pulling even as Heero struggled to keep a sane pace down the hallway. 

  
  



	15. A Circle

tantrys - ffiction - After - Chapter 15 - A Circle

**After - Chapter 15 - A Circle**

  


  


Warnings: I'm just dragging it on, I know... I should probably explain a few things before you give up on me:   
Heero has a ring. It's a ring that his father gave him in one of the first few chapters. I forgot about this ring for 10 or more chapters, and decided to shove it in at the last second... As you can see.... The ring is a very important part of the movie Titan A.E., in case you haven't seen it.... u___U. Maybe you should just give up on me... I'm hopeless with epics!! X_X 

Oh yeah. More shounen ai flyin' at you. Beware? I dunno... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
".......Do you have to lean on me?" 

Duo smiled past Heero's strained growl and draped himself further over the unyielding mystery. He pressed his smooth cheek against Heero's and sighed dramatically. 

"What's wrong? Am I heavy?" He sniffled at the insult and seemed to collapse onto Heero who without thought caught him gently, and stared in exasperation down at the lithe, pouting body in his arms. Duo puffed out his lower lip for pity and let Heero struggle to hold him parallel to the floor. 

"You're not heavy," Heero replied snappishly, lifting Duo up again and setting him on decidedly reluctant feet. Heero's hands hovered tentatively around pilot 02's hips, guarding him against any more 'falls'.... Duo leaned back against the map table and was much too quiet for Heero's tastes... He ripped his gaze up from Duo's hips (how *had* it gotten there?!) and frowned for all he was worth. 

Duo's lips were still quirked up in their amused, curious grin, the one that seemed reserved just for Heero because it was mischievous, and sexy, and confusing the hell out of him. 

_One would assume death threats would be enough of a warning,_ Heero swore silently. He wisely elected not to speak his thoughts-- _might encourage him..._ He stepped up to the table beside Duo and leaned over it, eyes zeroing in on familiar design strokes... Engine statistics... 

"It must have been amazing," Duo offered. He was now a safe distance of two inches from touching Heero, and he no longer spoke in that breathy, cooing voice that set off alarms in Heero's brain.... among other places... 

Heero nodded and traced a few lines with his fingers, remembering the exact same Gundam blueprints on the Wing Zero with Jey... The tips of his fingers grazed across the weathered paper, mimicking graceful lines that formed wings, with feathers that were plates of gundanium meticulously measured, formed... and destroyed... 

"You look like you've seen these before," Duo ventured. His upper body folded onto the table and he half sprawled across it to look up at Heero's face. It was rapt. Beautiful in its intensity. His eyes were flashing from blue to indigo as what could have been memories, or just the light, passed over them. 

Heero shifted away from the wings design on the prints, and traced lightly, further on to where the startup code was designated. It was a mess of jumbled calculations that no one but pilots or engineers could have deciphered. Jey had been furious at his own difficulty in deciphering the code... but Heero remembered him smiling. 

_Still a circle,_ he reflected. His fingers drummed once on the table and he straightened slowly.... 

  
  


_

> "Circles are the perfect form, 01," Jey sighed. His glassy eyes held a glint of green from the star map holo screen. He threw one good arm into a loose invisible circle, encompassing the entire visible galaxy. "Loops of symmetry. Wheels, and gears... Planes upon planes and dimensions... 'The circle-- is the model of life!' Lowe would rave 'Never breaking....' What a sentimental fool...." 

_

_

> "The code ends with a circle," Heero observed quietly. Jey turned from the map and glanced at Heero. The boy was a statue standing at attention; chin raised and eyes focused, cool... 

_

_

> "A ring...." Jey whispered his correction. "A circle at its finest..." 

_

  
  


"Nice." Duo's fingers brushed across the top of Heero's hand. "How long have you two been hitched?" 

Heero stared murderously at his traitorous hand-- the nerves there were tingling... Warmed by Duo's touch and cold now... It took a moment for Duo's inquiry to register. 

"Hitched to what?" 

Duo laughed softly and pounded Heero's back once. Heero was perturbed to notice that he'd grown used to the spirited pilot's proclivity for physical contact. He was adapting frighteningly quickly. 

"Married, man. Tied the knot," Duo supplied synonyms placidly, and snatched up Heero's hand from the table to wave it back at its owner. "Ring-ed to your belov-ed?" 

Heero blinked once, slowly, as he met Duo's expectant gaze. The pilot's eyes were blue, and tainted with just enough amethyst to ruin the illusion of normalcy, if there had even been one... 

"I don't have a beloved," Heero answered simply, furrowing his brows as Duo's expression flickered from blank to suspicious and something unidentifiable all in one blink. 

"Yeah.... Then why do you have this spiffy *wedding* band? I didn't figure you as a jewelry wearin' kind of guy." His mouth widened for a toothy grin, apparently because he'd amused himself. 

"It's a ring," Heero rumbled, plucking the imprisoned hand from Duo's grasp. 

"I figured that," Duo chuckled. He held one of his palms up and smiled. "Can I see it?" 

A bizarre rush of possessiveness confused Heero for a moment, after which he began to tug at his ring, twisting it and not liking the unfamiliar sensation of taking it off... He carefully placed it in Duo's soft palm and watched. 

Duo tucked it appropriately on one finger and brought it close his face. He grinned crookedly at his reflection in its buffed surface and soothed out an imperfect blur with his thumb. He frowned then, and rolled the ring under the pads of his fingers again. 

"It's gold?" He asked curiously, still eyeing the adornment. 

"I don't know," Heero admitted. His hand felt odd without it. Duo wrinkled his nose unconsciously and pushed the ring onto his left ring finger. It fit perfectly... 

"Nice. If it's not from your girl then who's it from?" Duo passed the tiny circlet back, and sidled into his appropriate niche of Heero's personal space. 

"It doesn't matter," Heero replied solidly. He sidestepped Duo and marched purposefully into the hall. Duo scrambled after him. "How long is an estimated approach to the refueling station?" 

"Uhhhm-- maybe twelve hours? That's what the course map said." Duo giggled playfully and skipped ahead of Heero. He was now walking backwards and chiding Heero at the same time. "Are you gonna take a nap?" 

Heero's scowl halted in mid formation. He glanced beyond Duo and down the hall, and felt an odd tugging begin on his lips... A smile. 

"You shouldn't walk like that. Your balance is compromised." 

Duo waved off Heero's warning with a grin and flailing hands. "You doubt Death's coordination? His balance?! His superior feats of graaace--" 

"Damn it Maxwell!" Wufei swore colorfully as Duo bowled into him from behind, and both slammed to the ground, limbs tangling and curses flying. Heero skirted the pile easily. 

  
  


  



	16. The Navigator's Insight

**After - Chapter 16 - The Nagivator's Insight**

  


* * *

  


Warnings: I have forgotten the entire plot! Yes! Where was I going with this?! No idea! But here's my latest addition; wish me luck with it!

Oh yeah. More shounen ai flyin' at you. *Love*. ^___^ 

* * *

  
  


  
Twelve hours were passing by lethargically. Meiran was flirting shamelessly with Wufei at his pilot console, while Heero sat stiffly in his passenger's seat glaring holes into the back of pilot 05's head. _I don't need to protect her,_ he reminded himself absently. _She's capable..._ His frown deepened as Wufei pushed a dark strand of Meiran's hair behind her ear. She giggled softly. 

_If he hurts her I'll kill him,_ he decided grimly. With a low grunt and push he levered himself from the seat and stalked out of the control room, hoping vainly he wouldn't run into Duo again... or that he would... 

"*You* must be Heero!!" A breathless feminine voice exploded. Heero whirled around-- he was in an empty corridor, halfway from the control room to his quarters. His body was tensed, and furious, because he couldn't find any evidence of the body that went with the voice. He didn't like it. 

"Where are you?" He demanded. The latch on his pistol holster was undone, and he didn't need any encouragement to raise it or fire. 

"Right here," the voice giggled. From one of the narrow doors in the hall a slight figure emerged. She was short, and willowy, with large nova blue eyes that were framed by a halo of golden locks. Heero gave her a reproachful glare, and eyed the clipboard of papers in her clutches. He almost snorted. Pink painted fingernails. _Some sort of spoiled passenger._ Actually, from the look of the papers she held-- coordinate plans, star charts, equations-- she was a navigator. 

Heero eased the tension in his arm, though still held it poised over the gun. _Why is she staring at me like that?_ "Who are you?" He barked, surprising the enraptured girl out of her trance. She broke into a shining smile, and held out a pretty manicured hand. 

"I'm Relena, the Gundam II's backup navigator. Quatre hired me on a few months ago, because his systems weren't reliable. Now he doesn't really have any use for me. The Gundam is really a remarkable machine; it just needed a few adjustments and now that it's all ship shape..." Relena paused to let out a high pitched breathy laugh. "I'm obsolete. But being the wonderful soul that he is, Quatre let me stay on board, at least until he finds the Gundam. I've heard about you, Heero. You're very important... you have the coordinates, and the key--" 

Heero backed away from Relena's outstretched hand. She seemed to be going for his wrist, and Heero's defenses decided that this was too much of a threatening motion. He lashed out with his own hand, and smashed Relena's tiny fingers in his. She gasped in pain. 

_ "Heero!" Meiran struggled to speak as Heero grabbed her throat, squeezing his fingers like claws. It was amazing to feel the frantic pulse of blood in her neck, and the sound of frenzied gasps... _

"You're hurting me," she whimpered. All at once the fog cleared from his vision, and it was not an enemy standing before him. It was a tiny, sweet girl. The girl that cared for him, told him not to die. Harmless. 

_"Heero--"_

He released the navigator girl and moved out of reach. She was shaking, like Meiran had for three days straight whenever Heero moved too quickly. Although Relena's trembling wasn't due to her fear of him. 

"You're so strong," she oozed. "And fast! I didn't mean to surprise you, I just wanted to see your ring... It's the key, of course," she explained importantly. Relena advanced the few inches that Heero had relinquished, and continued to stare into his eyes. Heero paused in his retreat. The key? 

"What do you mean 'the key'?" He snapped peevishly. This girl was entirely too creepy. Even after he'd almost smashed her hand to bits, she was still reaching toward his hand, intent upon his father's ring apparently. 

"They key to begin the Gundam startup sequence. It can't function without it-- didn't you know?" Relena's head bent forward, and she seemed to be leering at him. "I would have thought Jey's soldier would know everything about the Gundam..." 

"I do know everything," Heero blurted in annoyance. _At least I thought that I knew its every spring and drive._ His gaze wavered from Relena's laser vision, and turned downward to briefly study the innocent golden band on his finger. 

_The code ended with a ring. But it's impossible-- my father never would have given this to me, if it were that important. It would mean he'd be going on a suicide mission._

_It would also mean that while the Oz attacked the Gundam, the most vital instrument in its purpose was moving light years away... to return..._

"The Gundam was destroyed," Heero recited his mantra fiercely. "Even if this is the key, there is *no possible way* for the thing to be rebuilt before the Oz found out--" 

"You'd be surprised, Heero," Relena replied slyly. "Circles are one of nature's finest creations. They're comprised of millions of dimensions... facets, you could call them... or purposes..." 

Heero pulled his fingers in to his palm, stretching the skin over his knuckles until it was white. This 'navigator' knew quite a bit about the Gundam... 

"How do you know--" 

"All that I know?" Relena finished dramatically. She brushed back a fine lock of her hair, and smiled a devious, secretive smile. "Well Heero. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." 

Heero didn't bother to respond. Her words were ludicrous. She was eccentric. 

_Everything she said makes perfect sense._

He had to get back to the control room... _If it's true. If this damned ring can..._

  
  


  
  



	17. The Gulf And Gundam

**After - Chapter 17 - The Gulf And Gundam**

  


* * *

  


Warnings: ..... Not much that wasn't in the previous chapters.

* * *

  
  


  
"So... this is the refueling station?" Duo's words reverberated weakly throughout the narrow docking bridge. It linked the Gundam II's hull to 'Marquise Petro Gulf'. The only shuttle and ship refueling station for thousands of kimets... 

"It's a rock," Wufei added in disbelief. "A round little rock in the middle of space... with a few tanks of petro." 

"I think it's nice," Meiran chirped. She looped her arm through Wufei's, and marched onward. Heero scowled a little-- he wasn't used to being ignored by his Meiran-- and followed. The other pilots were already descending into the entry way, except for-- 

"Is it just me, or does Meiran think *everything* is nice?" Duo inquired softly, pressing his face close to Heero's unprotected ear. Heero managed not to flinch or jump in surprise, but he couldn't help the sharp turn of his head in Duo's direction. 

Duo was literally plastered to Heero; he'd molded himself to fit against the sharp angles of Heero's shoulder elbow and hip. Even his head had managed to find the unused crook of Heero's neck. The soft fluff of Duo's hair tickled the skin beneath Heero's chin, and he felt his resolve, to bloody the energetic pilot's nose, crumble. He instead fled after Trowa and Quatre. 

_Does he *have* to hang on me? And breathe on me, touch me, talk to me, look at me, pass near me--_

There was only one body in the entire station; human, surprisingly, with greasy white blonde hair. Unisex, as far as Heero could tell. And it seemed, as he approached the recumbent form, that it wasn't even alive... _A wasted trip,_ he grumbled, prodding the blue clad figure with his boot. It didn't even twitch. Heero curled his lip in distaste as he moved his gaze around the slovenly closet the body apparently called an office. 

There were shelves of broken gadgets-- mostly pumps, wires, clasps and sheet metal. Between the shelves the floor and wall was littered with the regular routine of star maps and logs. Same as every other station in space. A few newspaper clippings in various languages were shoved into spaces that could have been clean, and finally there was the 'dead' body, surrounded by food and water containers, and the small board of controls. 

Heero swept the room once more, just to be sure the pig sty was empty and the swine was dead. But just as he was about to complete the sweep, a glitter of interest caught his eye. Down on the floor, tied to the body's ankle. A charm sticking out from its stocking slightly. Heero bent over rapidly, and grabbed the sparkling metallic piece in a tight fist.

A firm, hard boot crashed into his head, and Heero went sprawling onto the floor. He sat up swiftly, and watched the body leap into action, and more specifically into the air over him. Heero fell onto his back and struck upward with both of his feet. They slammed into his attacker's gut, and positions were reversed, as it was flattened on the floor, and Heero was wrestling with flying claws and-- screams?! 

"AAAhhAAHHHH! Ahhh!" It wailed fitfully. Heero grunted at the piercing howl; it sounded absurdly feminine, but when it started cursing-- definitely male. "AHHHH--" Heero gave in, and pressed one of his fighting hands over its mouth, arching the palm to make sure it wasn't bit. 

"We heard screaming--" Quatre's voice was approaching from the hall, and it stopped as he entered the office. More plodding footsteps sounded as the others returned from their search of the station for its manager. 

"Screaming?" Duo huffed. "I thought something was dying." 

The balefully howling man beneath Heero wriggled fitfully, and detached the palm from his mouth long enough to wail for assistance. 

"Help me! He's trying to assault me! I was sleeping innocently, and *he* tried to feel up my leg!!!" 

Heero replaced his grip on his captive's mouth, and made sure his entire head was immobile. He scowled down into his wild, bloodshot eyes, and waited. 

"Calm down," Quatre began soothingly. "I'm sure Heero would never do a thing like that. Now, if you'll stop screaming, Heero will remove his hand, and we can complete our business here." 

The fervent agreeing shake of Heero's strong grip prompted him to release it, and back off of the station's sole occupant warily. It bolted up, and stood fluidly. It brushed off some dust from its uniform, and raised its face to the assembled group. 

"Good evening-- you must be the Gundam II," it smiled. "I'm Zechs Marquise, owner and proprietor of Marquise Petro Gulf. You requested docking not too long ago; I'm glad to see that you arrived safely!" 

Heero knew that his bewildered expression was mirrored by half of the Gundam II's crew. The wild blonde abomination from seconds ago, had transformed into a dignified, albeit greasy, station manager, named Zechs Marquise. He even shook Quatre's hand, and moved to do so with the other pilots and passengers. Although he neglected to offer his firm business shake to Heero. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


The Wing Zero had passed the Petro Gulf, during its Gundam Search, but hadn't stopped for fuel going to or from. It was no wonder, considering the size and state of neglect the tiny moon was in. _Jey probably knew that Zechs was here to greet him, if he had stopped._

Heero had kept his frown in place from the time Zechs had transformed to his less-than-beastly self, to when he'd helped Quatre and Trowa attach the refueling hose to the Gundam II's belly. Duo's thrilled laughter did nothing to relieve the tension between Heero's eyebrows. 

"I can't stop thinking about his *scream*! How long do you think it took him to perfect that?" Duo giggled and nudged Heero's stiff form with his shoulder. They were in Zechs' office, Wufei, Meiran, Duo and Heero. Crowded into hard metal chairs, and forced to wait while Zechs flirted with Quatre, and Trowa hovered protectively over them. And while they refilled the Gundam II's fuel tanks, on the side. 

"It looks like he's been here for years," Meiran provided. "And from the dates of these clippings--" she paused to scrape up a pile of yellowed news type. "He hasn't been out of the station since--" she raised her thin eyebrows, "eleven years. Since Earth." 

Heero rose from his sulk with intrigue. The station and its keeper had been here since Earth? And it was here when Jey found the remnants of the Gundam. _Then that charm on his ankle, it could have been... _

"Was this what you were after?" A more calm, less vulgar version of Zechs' voice asked as it entered, and held out a small metal object toward Heero. Heero stood swiftly, and pulled the metal feather into his palm. It was-- it felt like, and had the same design as the Gundam's feathers. 

"Did this come from the wings?" He asked lowly, not bothering to look up to Zechs for the answer. "The upper joints..." 

"Yeah," Zechs answered with something akin to respect in his voice, which marred the previous distaste he'd held for his 'attacker'. "Doctor Lowe gave it to me; told me that I'd know who to give it to." Zechs laughed hollowly. "Since you're the only visitors I've had since the Doctor, I guess you're it?" 

"The Gundam is completely refueled," Quatre interrupted softly. "I had Trowa warm up the engines... What is that, Heero?" 

Heero noted distantly that the others had circled in on him, staring at the delicate gundanium piece in his palm... It was shockingly small; just a tiny feather. How could it have been part of the Gundam? 

The Gundam was perfect. Every single detail, billions of feathers, gundanium feathers, had been manufactured to make the wings work like nature. This was one of them. Small to rest on the upper joint of the Gundam's wing. 

_It *is* disassembled,_ Heero's mind reasoned. _Perhaps not destroyed... just in pieces. And if-- if the Gundam had the power of regeneration; to recreate planets and life... _

"Why couldn't it regenerate *itself*?" He finished brokenly. 

  
  


  
  



	18. Mercury

**After - Chapter 18 - Mercury**

  


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[11/21/02] ^______^ Has it returned? Has it? o_O. Perhaps. I got an interesting note in my guestbook, asking 'was I going to update within the next year'. I thought about that, and was like... dude. I have no idea! That kinda scared me, so I pushed myself (which I never do) to work on this, my sorely neglected piece. I'll work on Psychosomatic Agency, too... ^__^v Enjoy, I hope. 

Warnings: Kind of bland; my writing style has changed a little. A few plot points, but mostly moving with the original movie plot, but only very, very vaguely. Some weird technical mumbo jumbo that I just made up, no yaoi hints in this one ;___;, sorry. Just wait, though... mwahahah!

Another note; I've revised the other parts, mostly just aesthetic points. Makes me feel better, it does. ^^

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this. Nor will I ever, ever make any money from something I love. There's like a law against that, isn't there? -_-;

* * *

  
  


  
[Previously]

"Doctor Lowe gave it to me; told me that I'd know who to give it to." Zechs laughed hollowly. "Since you're the only visitors I've had since the Doctor, I guess you're it?" 

"The Gundam is completely refueled," Quatre interrupted softly. "I had Trowa warm up the engines... What is that, Heero?" 

Heero noted distantly that the others had circled in on him, staring at the delicate gundanium piece in his palm. It was shockingly small; just a tiny feather. How could it have been part of the Gundam? 

The Gundam was perfect. Every single detail, billions of feathers, gundanium feathers, had been manufactured to make the wings work like nature. This was one of them. Small to rest on the upper joint of the Gundam's wing. 

_It *is* disassembled,_ Heero's mind reasoned. _Perhaps not destroyed... just in pieces. And if-- if the Gundam had the power of regeneration; to recreate planets and life... _

"Why couldn't it regenerate *itself*?" He finished brokenly.

  
  


Heero's words were whispered, yet they made the listener's ears burn with importance. The Gundam could regenerate itself? 

"How--" 

"No way--" 

"Heero, you swore it was destroyed!" 

"Quatre!" Trowa's urgent hail interrupted their frantic inquiries, and it continued from the intercom system overhead. "The Oz are approaching the moon-- launch their first attack--" 

The connection broke, but the warning was well received. Mere heart beats passed before the sound of explosions filtered through the office walls, and tremors set the shelves rattling. 

"Get to the ship," Quatre barked. He grabbed Zechs' arm and started pulling, but the man resisted. "You can't stay here, they'll destroy everything--" 

Zechs' eyes were hard, and flashing brilliantly. He pried Quatre's fingers away, and straightened the lapels of his jumper. Heero almost started moving without them all, but he paused as Zechs spoke. 

"I've been on this moon too long to let the Oz have it. Get out while you can," he turned and stalked to his seat and controls. "I'll distract them." 

Meiran's fingers pressed Heero's shoulder worriedly. Meiran had grown fond of Zechs, much too quickly for Heero's tastes. And Meiran hated death. Heero had never been able to understand her reasoning on that; death was one of few admirable choices in life. But he had a vague, growing recognition of what it was like to be 'fond' of someone... and to not want them to die. 

Quate was fuming silently, and had moved forward to either strangle or talk Zechs senseless. Heero stopped him with an outstretched arm. 

"Go, I'll follow with him," he murmured. 

Quatre nodded imperceptibly, and whirled. He started off in a sprint and as Wufei moved Heero caught his arm, and Meiran's. The two stared at Heero dumbly. 

"See her to safety," he ordered. 'She's hurt, you're dead,' his tone suggested. Wufei's smile was blurred as he ran with Meiran in tow, but the angle of his lips resembled one of Duo's usual self-satisfied grins. 

"Go," Heero tilted his head sharply at Duo, motioning for him to leave, *now*. Duo folded stubborn arms, and seemed rooted to the office floor. There wasn't time to argue. 

Zechs stared at the remaining pilots, suspicion dawning slowly. He stood up when Heero neared, but couldn't avoid the swift fist to his stomach, or the solid thump to the back of his head. Zechs slumped over Heero's arm, and was thrown across his shoulder in a matter of seconds. 

"No fair," Duo mused as they ran down the corridor toward the docking bay. "You've never carried *me* over the threshold." 

"You never asked," Heero replied. 

  
  


  
  
The Gundam II's fuel tank was full and prepped when they arrived. As soon as they were seated, Duo began his signature rapid release from the dock. Quatre's warning had barely formed before the ship exited the Gulf port without harm, and began reversing direction. No one commented, but Heero noted Duo's quiet smirk. 

On the holo radar, four white ellipses surrounded the Gundam II. They circled it once, and began firing halfway through their second circuit. The ship's sheilds were strong so only a slight vibration ran through its frame, but they weren't idelible, Quatre's grimace revealed. 

"We'll have to outrun them, until the generator is up to speed," he declared. The plan obviously didn't sit well with him, even if none of the pilots objected. It was a dangerous ploy, and there was a very good chance that the mother ship was near. 

The Oz mother ship had been the Oz's final instrument against Earth, and it had brought apocalypse to hundreds of other civilizations throughout the galaxy. It was indestructable... 

"The droid ships will slow us down," Meiran observed. Their attacks were incessant, flashing across the holo screen and circling the Gundam II tirelessly. "Don't you have--" 

"Mercury," Wufei interrupted. He turned in in his seat and sent Meiran a wide smile. "She's right, we have Mercury, one of us can go out against the Oz while the ship is preparing." 

"Which one?" Trowa added softly. "We're all needed for navigation and defense." 

Quatre tried to dismiss the subject with a sharp nod. "Trowa's right. We'll manage without her--" 

"What's the Mercury?" Meiran demanded. She was straining forward against her straps, eyes brilliant and curious. 

"A spare battle mecha," Quatre answered. His fingers flew furiously over his board, pressing in coordinates and calculations for the ship's jump into hyper space. "An old model my advisors insisted we bring--" 

Meiran struggled with her straps, and growled when they wouldn't release. "I can fly her, guaranteed! I'll buy you guys time--!" 

"No." Five voices rose in time, making Meiran pause and stare. The pilots hadn't diverged from their tasks, but the order weighed heavily in the air. She turned to Heero, the only one unoccupied and reasonable enough-- 

But Heero was standing, legs steady against the faint rocking of the ship. 

"It's in the dock?" He asked calmly. Quatre did look up then, but didn't respond. His eyes were shocked, almost disbelieving. Heero had a reasonable idea of why. 

_ I've been the one without hope. I wanted them to fail... maybe I still do. But I want to be there, to make sure. _ He repeated his question again, and it was Trowa who responded. 

"Yes. She's just like a regular drone, if you've ever piloted one--" 

Heero nodded and set out of the control room at a run. He passed Relena, crouched beside the control room door panel, and he felt her cool eyes on him as he moved. There was something about her-- he'd discuss it with Quatre when he returned. 


	19. Return to Space

**After - Chapter 19 - Return to Space**

  


* * *

  


[4/19/03] ... I've had notes on this thing forever, I just never typed 'em out. I can't let it *die*, ya know? :D But wish me luck; it won't be getting any better, but at least it won't get worse! Bwahaha...

Warnings: Kind of bland. A few plot points, but mostly moving with the original movie plot, but only very, very vaguely. Some weird technical mumbo jumbo that I just made up. Only vague yaoi hints, because I'm kinda bad at working them in... But it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Another note; I've revised the other parts, mostly just aesthetic points. Makes me feel better, it does. ^^

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this. Nor will I ever, ever make any money from something I love. There's like a law against that, isn't there?  
-_-; 

* * *

  
  


  
Mercury was a solid, dependable looking drone ship. If Heero were at all sentimental, he would've noticed the determined lines of the model's design, the gray sheen of importance... But he didn't notice anything except the general layout of the controls-- similar to a Leo mobile suit-- and the dock hatch opening.

He debarked smoothly, and space held him in silence for the time it took the nearest Oz fighter ship to spot him. Then he started shooting, and fell into a familiar haze of destruction, something he hadn't indulged himself in for too long. The weapon in him would never rest...

The Oz came in swarms, mediocre in flight capability, but effective through sheer numbers. They came endlessly, sometimes so eager that they collided, destroying a small radius of their brothers, but there were always more. Heero found himself sneering and gritting his teeth impatiently. Would they never _die_?

Then there was a pause in the action, where the Oz hesitated. Heero blinked and raised his guns-- but they were retreating. The Oz were backing off, running because of the destruction that one small human soldier could bring. "Cowards," he panted. 

"Mercury to Gundam. The Oz are retreating, respond." He minced his words, out of habit, and the breathless rush following his battle-- his success. The generator would be ready for the jump... 

"Gundam," Heero repeated. "Respond. Mercury mission successful. Oz are retreating." 

The exclusive connection between the Mercury and Gundam, indicated by a lazy green light on the control board, was quiet. There was no static, or broken words to indicated a malfuction-- 

"Gundam." He raised his voice slightly, and checked diagnostics on the Mercury. Not all of the Oz had left, there were still a few lurking, almost guarding the stationary Mercury. Heero tried again. "Quatre--" 

Mercury had drifted several kimets away from the Gundam as it fought. Heero shifted the suit's torso in time to see the blinding flash of a ship's hyper engines igniting. The Gundam II didn't shudder, crediting once again its superb manufacturers in travel comfort and speed, then it was gone.

The tell-tale spectral trail of fuel molecules glittered in the light of some far off sun. The Oz, giving Heero and Mercury a wide berth, moved to inspect the Gundam's departure, before circling Heero. 

He hadn't blinked since the initial fuel burn. His mind was too full of questions to blink; too overrun by side notes and battle tactics should the Oz decide to attack again although they wouldn't-- _ They're gone, _ he noted. _ Why... what threatened the Gundam? Why would they leave, without notifying me? _

It was a strange thing, to hurt, after being left. Several Oz ships zipped past to join the huddle majority, where Heero had driven them. They were waiting, probably, for the mother ship to arrive, and to celebrate or destroy or whatever Oz did to prisoners. Most likely, destroy. 

Heero was still thinking, and not about the Oz; they were pushed back to a subconscious level, instict driven should the need arise... although it wouldnt... 

It would take a consensus among the pilots, for a hyper jump. _Everyone_ would have to agree, and press tailored key sequences for the process. _Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Duo... saw me as expendable. _ There; pain again.

_Understood. Mission accomplished, then. _ He adjusted the Mercury's throttle, and powered down. There was no where to flee, or hide. There was only space, a familiar blanket of black and stars, and the guard of Oz massing before him. Heero was left to float, and wait...

  
  



	20. The Ally

**

Chapter 20 - The Ally

**

* * *

[4/19/03 Lots of plot points in this one... if we can call it a plot at all. oO.

[09/22/07 Omg. I'm back. Kinda... LoL. I just edited this chapter a bit; I noticed that I'm really kind of freakin' vague and I use commas too often. But, regardless, I tried to polish this chapter a bit... and I've written more of an outline for the rest of the story. I'll finish that before I add anymore chapters. :3 It's going well, though. Yay!

Warnings: Kind of bland. Weird, faketechnical mumbo jumbo. Only vague yaoi hints, but it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this. Nor will I ever, ever make any money from something I love. There's like a law against that, isn't there?  
--;

* * *

Why did they leave? Why did _Duo_ agree? Why did any of them-- and Meiran... _She was my friend. _ Friend. Heero was... glad that she, that they, got away safe. They-- she, was important-- but _why-- I'm-- I'm confused--_ He'd never had to deal with friends, or hopes, or fear, never fear...

The mother ship had arrived, and an eerie, pale blue magnetic beam had both disabled Mercury, and pulled her into the massive ship's hull. The Oz ship was beyond comprehension in size, in girth and holding power. The entire Oz population was on that ship. They were technological beings, never based on an actual planet. The myth was that they created themselves... and started destroying everything else. 

Heero didn't believe in myths. He believed in what he saw, felt, heard, experienced... and having been left alone, by people he _cared_ about... everything had changed. He'd always known that trust was impossible. Friends were irregular, and unimportant. Jey-- was a dead thing; a past evil.

Heero was confused. 

Meiran insisted he wasn't a weapon, wasn't expendable. Perhaps she couldn't stop them from leaving... but why would they leave him? Was their agreement so tremulous? Weren't they soldiers, pilots, comrades at the very least? And Duo. 

_ What was he to me? _ The question caused an unpleasant tightness in Heero's chest. A pain, unfamiliar amongst his long history of pain. He ignored it. The Oz surrounding him, holding his arms against their unpleasantly electric skin, were more demanding for his attention anyway. 

They dragged him without protest from Mercury and immediately dispatched him with only two guards-- Heero almost scoffed-- to walk through twisting, brightly lit halls. The heat, the sheer energy the walls exuded was suffocating. Beads of sweat formed then fell in hot rivulets down his temples, streaking past his ears and curling lazily down his neck. Heero couldn't be bothered with the heat or the burns making themselves known along his biceps where the Oz held him. No physical pain or discomfort could bypass the distress in his heart, in his mind. 

_What was he to me...?_

There seemed to be only one holding cell; not surprising considering Oz rarely took prisoners. The pair brought Heero before the electric, translucent door, blazing with even more heat than the walls of their citadel ship. One spoke an unfamiliar command, which Heero knew he'd be unable to recreate or even remember, and the door vanished. More gutteral, grinding words followed and they shoved him forward. The electric forcefield reformed with a short sizzling sound. 

Heero didn't turn to acknowledge or inspect it for any weaknesses, as something else caught and firmly stole his attention from contemplations of escape. 

There was someone else in the holding cell. 

The other figure was decidedly male, relaxed, and aware. He reclined on the hard electric blue floor as if it were a fully cushioned sofa and he a king. The man's wickedly arched eyebrows rose, admitting curiosity. He sat up at his leisure, surveying the new arrival. 

"From their transmissions I knew they'd picked up something. What, or should I say who--" he paused for a small smile, "Are you?"

Heero grunted. "Heero Lowe. You're Treize." 

Treize Kushrenada's eyes brightened most certainly not from the manner of Heero's reply, but from the content. According to wellknown and frequently published specs, Treize was a rogue pilot allied with Oz for unknown reasons. He was a sharp-witted, dashing captain and a well-prepared rival. Treize knew Jey's statistics, his tactics, his weaknesses, and his projects... 

"Jey's prodigy," Treize mused aloud. "His perfect weapon. Lowe's child... Destiny does think herself a clown." Heero didn't reply. Treize nodded unpreturned and continued. "Do you have the ring?" 

Heero renewed his glare and resisted an urge to ignore the traitor (previous experience with Pilot 02 had taught Heero that the Ignore Tactic didn't always work). Treize was supposed to be dead, yet he was in an Oz prison cell. This was highly suspicous, which didn't help any with the already dangerous and potentially deadly situation they were in.

"Ring?" He asked, not quite reluctantly. He shouldn't be speaking with this criminal, this traitor to humankind, but the sudden and unexpected inquiry-- actually the mere existence of the man-- had encouraged Heero's curiosity. It was better than dwelling on other thoughts, anyway...

"Your father gave it to you; that's what he said." Treize answered easily. He shifted his legs and crossed his ankles, the picture of comfort even on a prison floor. "Lowe never lied. Not unless he had to." 

"You knew him?" Heero snapped, then growled low in his throat. "You probably helped murder him."

Treize didn't seem affected by Heero's accusation. He only smiled and responded in an achingly condescending tone of voice usually reserved for speaking to very stupid, misbehaving children. "Why would I murder my partner? Don't answer that," he added quickly, holding up his hand to ward Heero's acerbic reply. "I didn't. If anyone must be blamed, I would say Jey was the death of him." 

"Explain." 

Treize frowned at the curt interruption. "You sound like a machine," he muttered. Then he shrugged, a smooth, uncaring motion. "It's obvious; Lowe would never permanently disable the Gundam. It was too valuable, he'd put too much of his life into building it. But, he could give it enough temporary problems to hinder it in space. Drain the fuel, insert shorted data chips..."

"How would you know that?" 

Trieze brushed off Heero's repeadedly impolite replies and vicious scowl with a wave of his pale hand. "My boy, who do you think designed the Gundam? Just Lowe and Jey?" Treize chuckled. "There was an entire board of Gundam scientists, myself included. The potential of that project--!" Treize's voice trailed off, and he stared hard at Heero. "Who wouldn't join in the effort?" 

"Fine," Heero sighed. He was growing impatient; the man's words were informative yet irritating and mostly superfluous. "What about the ring?" 

Treize's lazy smile intensified in amusement and his eagerness for conversation. "You do not have your father's patience, nor his reverence and understanding of the circle. The perfect form-the perfect key -the perfect symbol for the Gundam's power. Regeneration. Renewal. Eternity..."

Heero interrupted Treize's flowery diadem once more. "Key? To the Gundam?" He ventured, indicating with his hand for Treize to fill in the gaps in his explanation more-- or less, preferably. "How?" 

"Did Jey keep you in a closet?" Treize huffed, irked at the constant interruptions. "You don't know that your father's wedding ring is the catalyst microchip for the Gundam?? It can't function without it." Treize again paused to smooth out his bland blue prisoner's uniform, letting that keystone tidbit of information sink into the hardheaded young man. To the ex-Captain's continued amusement, the silence also worked to irritate Heero further. 

"Sure, the Gundam can rebuild itself. It can locate its respective parts across the universe and create new from scrap. It can do much more than that. But, it can't _work_ without the ring." 

Heero resisted the urge, although great, to stare down in awe at his father's ring, an insignificant piece of metal almost discarded countless times in his life, almost lost or traded or sold. Jey must have thought it a great joke to let him keep it, especially since the Gundam was obliterated. A tragic memento for Lowe's son. Relena... Relena had told him as much on the Gundam II. Treize's rapturous tone and unending praise was eerily reminiscent.

"It was completely destroyed," Heero argued for the second time. "It couldn't possibly reform." 

Treize nodded, although not in agreement. "It was perfect, my disagreeable friend. The last masterpiece Earth ever provided, and hopefully its salvation as well..." His eyes glittered, reflecting the glow from the door and walls, and burning most brightly from within. He opened his mouth to continue but Heero cut him off, again.

"You try to take it, I'll kill you." As an afterthought Heero added, "If they try to take it, I'll kill you." 

Treize grinned. "The Oz don't know it exists; otherwise you'd be a more important prisoner of war than to leave in a cell with me. I'm just an old ally, used to find Jey and you, then thrown in here for keeps. Or maybe they forgot about me. I haven't been out of this cell in so long..." 

Heero didn't comment on Treize's wistful narrative, but he pressed for more information. "They didn't know I had the ring, but they tracked me down?" 

"They went after Jey, after you, after the Gundam II. They've surprisingly kept track of you rebels. They think you might know the location of the Gundam, although I believe..." Treize paused, his head tilted slightly to listen. There were grating sounds and hissing voices, followed by stomping and shouting moving quickly past the cell. "... I believe they've already found it." 


	21. Escape

**

Chapter 21 - Escape

**

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[4/19/03 Just some action. I haven't beta'd this yet, so beware of grammar, spelling, or syntactical errors:D

[9/22/07 Once again just polishing somethings. Have I mentioned yet that this might suck?? LOL. But... I think... I may actually finish it... :3 beams

Warnings: Kind of bland. Weird, faketechnical mumbo jumbo. Only vague yaoi hints, but it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this. Nor will I ever, ever make any money from something I love. There's like a law against that, isn't there?  
--;

* * *

Activity around their cell had doubled, and countless Oz had filed past, some running, most stalking quickly and none ever bothering to glance in at the prisoners. Voices rose and echoed from all over the ship, and words were passed down the lines' movement. Treize occasionally translated their shouts, offering bits of news and offhand gossip. He stopped suddenly, and blinked. 

"They've finally decided to jettison me. How pleasant."

Heero looked at Treize, his face blank and his demeanor disbelieving. Treize grinned. "You, too." 

As he spoke, the cell door crackled then vanished, revelaing three hulking electric guards. They buzzed impatiently, waving nondescript Oz weapons. Heero moved first, Treize immediately after, and both were steered out and down the same route Heero had taken to arrive. 

_ They know where the Gundam is... I have to stop them. I'll destroy myself, if necessary. Maybe... maybe the others found the Gundam-- _

Heero's limbs acted for him, even amidst the clamor of his harried brain. He stopped and crouched swiftly, reaching behind him and grabbing onto one of the Oz's limbs. The creature's skin burned him, but bone was bone no matter how dense, and bone breaks-- with loud, liquid cracks. The other two guards were down before the first took his last breath. 

Their weapons were rather large but functional, and Heero hesitated a moment to get a feel for the new weapon. He could use it. 

"Perfect weapon," Treize whispered as he bent to take his own: he wasn't referring to the Oz's guns. He followed Heero's sprinting figure, keeping low and silent but moving quickly toward the main hold. 

Oz filled the hold, along with hundreds of ships and a platform to the left of Heero and Treize. They hunkered near the floor at the end of the corridor, surveying the area and attempting to scrape together the vestiges of an escape plan. A huge, blazing figure of white and blue flame took up most of the platform. It was vaguely humanoid, with long hair and eyebrows seemingly carved from electric crystal, alien but immaculate in form.

"That, is Dorothy," Treize instructed absently as he studied the busy hold. "The mother of Oz. Kill her, kill them all." Heero glanced at him, wondering at the traitor-turned-ally to the human race. Treize's sculpted face offered nothing, not even the usual condescending smile. 

"We have to create a distraction and run. I can pilot one of their ships, if you can kill them." 

"I don't trust you," Heero replied, raising the narrow, luminescent barrel of his gun. 

The smile returned. "No need," Treize chirped. He ran, and Heero stepped from the safety of the hall on cue. He fired.

The Oz's weapon was remarkably light-weight and accurate-- it was also very effective on the Oz. Hundreds of bulbous, crackling heads turned toward him and he could see Treize dodging their distracted bodies and immobile ships, making his way toward the nearest unoccupied vessel. The Oz were forming lines of attack quickly, and Heero lost sight of the traitor--ally--- whatever he was. 

They came and were tossed aside without hesitation, without regard for their sheer numbers strength or existence. Heero worked feverishly; old intincts and newer sensibilities drove him, somehow springing from a strange desire to survive, to get back to the Gundam and the others. Completion of the mission was also a goal, to complete the mission, and survive... 

He would escape from the Oz and find the Gundam II, whether or not Duo or Meiran or anyone of the others were there. He would destroy Oz and then see if what they had all searched for actually existed. And perhaps destroy it, if necessary.

Heero had finally caught The Mother's, Dorothy's, attention, and he could feel her disapproval, her anger and hate. He didn't have to turn to know that she was reaching for him with a single pulsing, electric claw--

His view of the next wave of Oz soldiers was interrupted by a sturdy, humming Oz ship. A hatch on the side opened to reveal Treize in the pilot seat, still grinning. 

"You've impressed me, my friend. Thirty-odd bodies at your feet and you're not even bleeding. Let's go!"

Heero almost smiled, but that would have been too out of character; he only smiled for Meiran. He jumped forward and fell a few feet downward to catch on the last rung of the ladder descending from the ship's belly. The ship's engine's roared then jerked forward before Heero had even pulled his legs inside. The hatch closed as the ship rocked beneath him. 

"Hold on," Treize warned from the front. "They're firing! And my, my, my, Dorothy looks furious!" 

No ceremony or farewell was needed for the tiny Oz ship to erupt from the hold and into space, speeding along among the stars. The Oz would pursue of course, but not far. They were needed to escort the mother ship to the next, and final, battle against the Gundam. 


	22. The Folly of Youth

**Chapter 22 - The Folly of Youth**

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[9/28/07 I'm surprised this thing still lives, too. Btw, I revised chapters 20 and 21 a bit. Just kinda cleaned them up. No big changes.

**WARNING**: I left this chapter as a cliffhanger. I'm sorrry! LOL. And, unfortunately, I won't be adding to it for a couple of days/weeks... so, maybe you might wanna hold off on reading for a bit... Hehehe... I also haven't edited this yet seeing as it's almost 1 in the morning and I have to work tomorrow. Forgive me any errors today... ;D

REGULAR WARNINGS: Kind of bland, poor writing style. Weird & faketechnical mumbo jumbo. Only vague yaoi hints, but it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Treize was humming, badly, and accessing the ship's main control through the vid screen on the front console. He skimmed through dozens of lines of alien code and protocol before he paused humming long enough to answer.

"Disabling the trackers so no more of our esteemed enemies can follow, although it's somewhat redundant considering they already know the location of the Gundam and are heading there in--" another pause interspersed with more humming, and his fingers flying over the vid screen interface-- "one hour." Treize chuckled. "Seems like we upset Mother quite a bit."

Heero grunted. He was tired, though loathe to admit it. Tired, and something else. Something he was even less inclined to acknowledge...

After eleven years of believing the Gundam destroyed and Earth's last hopes demolished, today, whatever day or hour it was, they were racing with abandon toward it. The fairy tale. The illusion that had driven the pilots of the Gundam II so far... He frowned. _I won't think about them. Now is not the time. I have... I have a mission to accomplish. _

"Do you want to know where it is?"

"What?" Heero was startled by the sudden question. He'd been carried away by his thoughts, and it had grown very quiet at the helm. The engines had cooled and were running smoothly, the air vents ceased their hissing and, to Heero's relief, Treize stopped humming. "Where what is?"

Treize arched one of his eyebrows, sending it spiking further up into his hairline and of course making Heero feel the fool for inquiring, regardless of whether or not Treize's own question came out of the blue. The man was an aristocrat, a captain, a warrior; he could make anyone feel inferior. Heero growled a warning. _Except me._

The eyebrow remained arched but Treize lifted one hand to ward of Heero's anger. "I mean, kind soldier--" he hesitated when Heero shifted his stance and the grip on his weapon. "Do you want to know where the Gundam is? As well as your friends?"

Heero placed the barrel of the gun to Treize's temple. His movements were quick and precise, and the pressure against Treize's head deliberately firm.

"What makes you think I'm not alone?"

The gun to his head didn't seem to impede Treize's thought processes or piloting abilities as the ship continued smoothly on its course and Treize responded immediately.

It didn't seem to affect his attitude either, Heero noted. Somehow that reminded him of Duo...

"Perfect soldier though you may be, Heero," Treize sighed, gearing up for another long winded tirade, "there are somethings that you can't do. Translate the language of the Oz is one of them. Not to mention solve the algorithms that run their mainframes, and I'm almost certain you don't know how to convert their travel schematics and maps into our language. I know everything they know about your friends at this point."

"I'm sure you can do all of that extremely well," Heero replied smoothly. He didn't remove the gun from Treize. "And you know a lot more than you should. You were, afterall, their ally. Their goals were your goals. They decided to destroy humanity... And you helped."

The cool, unperturbed mask of Treize's face held; he kept his eyes forward, watching the stars and far off planets wink through the darkness, and occassionally glancing over at some data on the vid screen. He might not have had a loaded weapon held to his head at all, or even a deadly and thus far undefeated man standing behind it. Treize did not speak.

Heero continued. He didn't want to antagonize the man; not quite. He was angry, of course, but there were too many questions. The man had too much information to just kill out right... That didn't mean he couldn't wound him a little bit. Mentally and emotionally anyway. Treize still had to pilot the ship afterall.

"You helped to systematically track down and destroy Jey and his crew." Heero didn't mention the part he played in that memory. "You've helped the Oz with their search for the Gundam and the Gundam II, and now they've managed to find both--" Heero wasn't accustomed to speaking so much. His voice cracked but he couldn't stop. The traitor needed to hear his crimes spoken aloud. Heero wanted answers.

"All for what? What did you get out of your betrayal, Captain?"

At last, Treize broke. It was a small fissure in his armor though. He heaved a heavy and his shoulders slumped. Dutifully he kept his attention on the flight, but lines had formed between his brows, and Treize's mouth turned down into the semblance of a frown, no longer the thin and neutral line of lips. He looked older now; aged, weary, and broken. Heero wasn't sure exactly what part of his speech had been the catalyst, which grinding truth had worn the man down. It didn't really matter.

"I made a mistake," Treize gravelled. His voice was low and uneven, as if straining to push the words out into the air. "I've made a lot of mistakes. I was young once, and I had many ideas. Many unoriginal, overly ambitious and idiotic ideas that drove me to a point of no return. I was an extremely smart young man once..." Heero had to strain to hear the trailing whisper. "Today, I am an extremely stupid old man.

"You won't know until it's too late how stupid youth is. How cocky and blind. I imagined myself a general in the Oz army, overpowering the earth and taking my rightful place as a prince, or a king." The wrinkles in his face grew as Treize grimaced. "I did not know the Oz would destroy the earth. I believed-- I wanted to believe-- that they would help me conquer everything, then leave me my share, my kingdom. That's all I wanted. I did not know they would destroy everything..."

Heero snorted and narrowed his eyes. "I'll spare you my pity, Treize. You managed to forgive Oz, somehow. You stayed with them even after Earth was gone--"

"Why do you think I was in that cell?" Treize turned sharply, unmindful of the gun now centered squarely between his eyes. He glared up at Heero, his eyes bloodshot and blazing. "I'm tired of your childish threats and blatant disrespect. I have not been willingly allied with the Oz for eleven years, Heero." He spun back around and adjusted the steering module, gently readjusting their course and trying vainly to reinstate his calm cool collected shell. "Eleven years in that cell. I did not destroy the Wing Zero. The Oz used my ship to finish off both ships, crews, and my reputation. Obviously, their tactics were successful. I am now the most despised and lowly survivor of Earth."

Treize stopped and did not continue. Heero lowered his weapon and moved away, taking the co-pilot seat. He was phsyically exhausted, but his mind did not stop. _It never stops. Not even when I sleep. _So he didn't bother. He also left Treize alone for the moment. The man would continue on his own time. _He likes to talk too much to stay quiet for long._ Heero almost smiled. _Like Duo... _

_...I wonder if they've found the Gundam... _

"Endless Waltz constellation," Treize muttered sullenly. "That's where the Gundam is. Between the furthest two stars. The Gundam II is likely already there. I can try to communicate with them if you'd like."

Heero nodded and Treize began modifying the communications specifications through the vid screen. He also started humming again.

"We're making good time." It seemed Treize was back to his articulate self already. Heero wasn't sure if it was an improvement. _I rather liked the silence._ "As long as your friends have their communication channel open we should be able to--"

An piercing siren sounded through out the cabin and a stream of digitized Oz voices followed, warning them of something. Treize stopped reprogramming the vid screen and glanced at Heero.

"They're not accepting any signals," he reported, giving Heero a harried, exasperated sigh before turning toward the controls again. "And that lovely little warning is letting us know that we've been targeted by your friends, and they're preparing to fire."


	23. Reunion

**Chapter 23 - Reunion **

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[12/12/07 I should totally, TOTALLY be asleep right now... XD I added two chapters; I apologize, they're somewhat short and not a lot of plot advancement... Please bear with me :3 I've almost got it done... 

**WARNING**: Kind of bland, poor writing style. Weird & faketechnical mumbo jumbo. Only vague yaoi hints, but it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this.

* * *

"Send another message!" Heero barked, wincing as the ship's defensive alarm blared again. "They have to be open to some communication--" 

"I'm certainly trying," Treize huffed. His fingers tapped quickly at the vid screen then ghosted over the navigation keys. His eyes were riveted to ship's schematics as they scrolled into view; Heero noted some coordinates, trajectories, all rather useless information in their current position. Even when the alarm sounded again, more obnoxiously and with accompanying red flashing warning lights, Treize continued reading. Heero opened his mouth to hurry the captain along-- or just to shout at him, whatever happened to come out first-- when the ship shuddered, and started to roll.

"Treize!!"

"Hang on!" The captain offered by way of warning, his voice tinged with a bit of grim amusement. "They almost hit us; I had to take evasive measures." Heero gripped the armrests of his copilot chair and glared as he was shoved lower into the seat from the unexpected G-force of another barrel roll.

"Gundam II, hold your fire! Hold your fire!!" Treize's voice rose and the ship pitched again. "This is Captain Treize Kushrenada, copilot Heero Lowe, HOLD YOUR FIRE--!" The Oz ship performed another gut wrenching spin and shuddered. "I can't find their frequency. If they can't hear our messages they're going to keep firing. We have to retreat-- Gundam II, this is Treize Kushrenada and Heero Lowe, please hold your fire we are fleeing Oz--"

A short, piercing sound interrupted the defense alarms of their ship. It sounded like-- a _scream_--

"HEERO?? Heero are you there?? Oh my God--"

Meiran. It was Meiran. Heero bit back a grin; Treize was watching him... But the girl's voice had never been so wonderful to hear. _I don't think I've ever missed anyone before..._ "Heero??"

Heero cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm here." He was still fighting off an uncharacteristic smile-- of happiness no less. "We've commandeered an Oz ship. You can stop firing at us now."

Meiran laughed, then started sobbing, loudly, over the connection. Heero winced. The next few seconds were filled with the sound of Meiran crying, Wufei murmuring soothing words to her (Heero growled), and Quatre's faint voice ordering their carrier bay to open.

"How many people are on that ship?" Treize mused, preparing to dock. He chuckled as another indiscernible jumble of voices blared over the connection. Suddenly one voice spoke up over the din. It was a clear, smooth and familiar voice that made Heero's breath hitch and his heart leap, just a little.

"Hey Heero," Duo chirped. "We thought you were a goner, man... It's really, really good to hear your voice..." He sighed, and Heero found himself leaning forward unconsciously. "I--"

"Sorry Duo," Quatre interrupted, his voice low and apologetic. "Let's get them docked first... Come aboard you two. We've got a lock on the Gundam's location." He paused and there was finally complete silence in the background. "It's... in pieces, but the main components are still there." Another pause followed, longer and filled only with the sounds of the Oz ship as it accelerated toward the Gundam. Heero was on the edge of his seat at this point, waiting for something and unsure as to why, or for what...

"We're very, very glad to have you back, Heero," Quatre finished, his words rushing out in a heavy sigh and curling at the ends, probably due to a smile. Duo cheered loudly, and Meiran's choked sobs joined in, mixing with the other pilots' conversation and Zechs' grumbling for a cacophony of sound that would have drowned out any response from Heero, had he decided to give any. Heero just sat back in his seat, slowly, and allowed passage to a miniature smile on his lips.

Treize shook his head slightly, dismissing the odd antics of the Gundam II's crew, and prepared the Oz ship for its final docking procedures in the bay of the Gundam II.

* * *


	24. Drawing Near

**Chapter 24 - Drawing Near **

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[12/12/07 I repeat; I should so be asleep right now... ZZ Sorry for spelling/grammar errors. I checked, but I'm frikkin' tired. ;; Thank you for reading! And Happy Holidays. :D

**WARNING**: Kind of bland, poor writing style. Weird & faketechnical mumbo jumbo. Only vague yaoi hints, but it's still 1x2, 3x4, 5xM, 13x6...

Disclaimer: I have made no money from this.

* * *

The tight, apprehensive feeling in his chest was new; like the feeling of nostalgia when he heard Meiran's voice over the comlink. _It's like preparing for battle; my nerves are strained, my stomach is tensed..._ But he knew, somewhat, that it was a completely different feeling than from any battle he had ever been in. A terrible, brand new sensation that broke over him in smothering waves when he stepped through the door into the Gundam II cockpit.

Relief? Or something he was inclined to believe was... happiness... especially as Meiran threw her arms around him and squeezed. A hug. Something he begrudged her usually, and she complained about repeatedly. Heero slowly, cautiously extended his arms and wrapped them around her. He kissed the top of her head. He felt her arms tighten and her shoulders start to shake. Crying again. He shook his head. _Too emotional._

Duo's face appeared over Meiran's head; his beautiful eyes twinkling and his grin ever-present. He pried Meiran off, somehow, and passed her off to Wufei-- Heero's eyebrows crumpled in a warning frown-- then relaxed as Duo presented his hand to shake.

"Welcome back, 01." That feeling increased, clenching Heero's lungs, his heart. For a moment he thought he was ill, or falling apart. Then he was in Duo's arms, wrapped alarmingly close to the young man. He should have jerked back; his training would have put Duo in an arm lock and broken his kneecap. Duo's cheek brushed his, the loose strands of his braid tickled Heero's nose, and his lips brushed Heero's ear.

"I missed you...," Duo breathed, then pulled away, his eyes shining their mischief.

Heero realized he had been holding his breath; that's why his lungs felt like they would burst and he felt lightheaded.

_It's so irrational-- how he makes me feel,_ he thought, trying desperately to calm his fluttering heart with breathing exercises and pure will power. Duo radiated warmth, even after he had released Heero. _Not just his body; his aura, his personality. Everything is warm, and... welcoming._

Something heavy slammed into Heero's back; he lurched forward before catching his balance and whirling. Zechs had lunged at Treize, making the captain stagger back into Heero. Zechs followed Treize's attempt to dodge and doing his best impression of a windmill, all the while hissing out provocative slurs and insults. Heero was familiar with Zechs' "style" of combat, so he stepped in, bumping Treize out of the way and grabbing the blonde's flailing arms.

"You can't trust that traitor!" Zechs spat. In Heero's iron grip the man stilled, his attack halted but his mouth still railing. "He's after the Gundam so he can give it to Oz! Jettison him before he betrays us-- again--!" Zechs dove once more, but was halted by Heero's grasp. Treize merely sighed.

Quatre stepped in. His shoulders were straight, his back stiff and eyes blazing. "We're not going to jettison anyone-- you both need to be civiliz--!!" Zechs stuck his tongue out at Treize, who, with an air of utter superiority, mirrored him. Quatre rolled his eyes and turned to Heero while their bickering had halted.

"Heero," the Gundam II captain began. "I want to apologize, on behalf of all my crew and passengers, for leaving you during your battle with the Oz." Quatre's eyes met Heero's, as steady as his words and poise. "We would never willingly leave you like that. Relena--"

"That nutcase!" Duo interrupted, stepping up next to Quatre and folding his arms. His face screwed up angrily. "I never liked her to begin with, first class navigator or now. But Quatre's got a soft spot for crazies, if Wufei is any indication--"

Wufei snorted in indignation and swiped at Duo, who squeaked and tried to retreat behind Heero. Quatre continued, seeming slightly harried at his pilots' less-than-professional behavior, but determined to explain.

"Relena overrode the automatic hyperjump commands, and sent us into light speed early. When we found out how it had happened we were already coming out, at the edge of the Endless Waltz constellation. By the time we found her holed up in one of the circuit chambers, it was too late. She sent our coordinates back to Oz." Quatre shook his head once, shading his gaze with locks of pale hair. "I had no idea Relena was in league with them... She's been on the crew for a while, I should have felt something-- some sense of betrayal--!" His voice rose slightly and it sounded as if his throat had closed over his words.

Trowa placed a slender hand on Quatre's shoulder. "You can't know everything, Quatre," he murmured. He moved closer, positioning his body in a protective stance next to his captain. "She was obviously good at hiding things... she was Peacecraft's daughter, after all."

Trowa's low, soothing words carried well across the cockpit, despite Wufei and Meiran's quiet conversation, and Treize and Zechs' heated argument. They rang especially clear in the ears of the old Gundam Project comrades. Treize halted mid-hiss, spun on his heel and ogled-- Heero was quick to note that the heretofore unruffled captain straight out gaped-- at the loose circle of pilots. _Friends,_ Heero conceded. _We're friends._

"Peacecraft?" Treize demanded, eyes widening imperceptibly. He turned back to Zechs. "Was she--"

"My stepsister," Zechs finished, his face still set in a deep frown directed solely at Treize. He didn't even acknowledge the dumbfounded expressions of the rest of the pilots and passengers.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Quatre blurted. His face flushed slightly as he continued. "We had to knock her unconscious and imprison her in the brig. You didn't even move to help her..."

Zechs snorted, dismissing Quatre's attempt at reproach. "Our paths parted when Father joined the Gundam Project. I followed in the old man's footsteps and she did everything in her power to destroy our work." He paused to brush his long, silky hair over his shoulder; a nervous gesture. "She thought it would be more harmful for humankind to develop the Gundam than to leave creation well enough alone."

A long, stagnant pause followed Zechs' revelation. No one spoke, or even moved until he voiced the uncomfortable thought that had surfaced in everyone's mind...

"Relena wasn't too far off track..."

Heero was somewhat ashamed of himself at this point; his thoughts had split onto two different tracks. The current conversation concerning Relena's betrayal and Zechs' relation was a steady albeit less significant strain. The revelation that it wasn't their fault-- the crew of the Gundam II had not left him purposefully-- was like a light shining brightly in his eyes, blinding him to anything but that single, priceless fact.

He knew Meiran would never have left willingly. Heero blinked slowly, lowering his eyelids and letting his lashes brush his cheeks. He savored the tremulous peace that seeped in, past his squared shoulders and ramrod straight stance.

Duo cuffed his shoulder then; he had noticed Heero's inattention, however slight. Pilot 01's fists uncurled, tension seeped away, and the first calm in a long, long time passed over him...

_The first since I was with my father,_ Heero admitted. That was a very old memory indeed. One that had been tucked carefully away in the deepest recesses of his mind. Jey, though he had tried and nearly succeeded in stomping out all of Heero's inclinations toward human emotion, caring, hope, tenderness... and love... the boy-- eventually the man-- Heero Lowe was much too strong to let his humanity be taken from him. _I've hidden it well, though,_ he thought ruefully. _I doubt I know how to find it again... But, it's there. Meiran proved that... They all proved it... _

"I understand Relena's beliefs, but I think she was sorely misguided," Quatre declared. "The Gundam will be humanity's salvation." He smiled, confidence and cheer returned, and strode over to his station. "We're about 2,000kimets away from the wreckage, ETA 45 minutes. Everyone man your stations-- or, your respective visitor chairs--" He smiled brilliantly at Treize, Zechs, Heero, and Meiran.

"This is it."

Duo's raucous laughter ruined Quatre's solemn and rather cliché pronouncement, but Quatre just grinned at his gunner's antics. He checked the engine's thrust and began running through navigation and flight plans.

_This is it. _

* * *


End file.
